Chickenpox Vaccine Side Effects

Chickenpox or varicella is generally a mild, but highly contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus. The disease can easily spread from an infected person to another, through direct contact, air and from an infected pregnant woman to her unborn child. This viral infection causes mild fever, skin rashes and blisters, especially on the face and the head. The disease primarily affects the children and the young adults. In certain instances, the disease can lead to pneumonia and skin infection. Chickenpox can become more severe in adults and hence in the past, the majority death cases due to chickenpox were reported in adults. However, with the development and introduction of chickenpox vaccine, the incidence of the disease, as well as the number of deaths caused by it have declined considerably.

What is Chickenpox Vaccine?
The chickenpox vaccine, also known as varicella vaccine is a live attenuated vaccine. This means that the vaccine is prepared with live, but altered virus. The varicella virus is weakened or made less virulent in the laboratory, so that it cannot cause a serious outbreak of the disease, but can produce immunity against the disease. Examples of such important live vaccines include polio vaccine, rubella vaccine, measles vaccine, etc.

It was first introduced in Japan and Korea in 1988, and then in USA in the year 1995. While majority of the individuals administered with chickenpox vaccine develop immunity against the disease, a small minority can have disease even after being vaccinated. However, such individuals suffer from a very mild form of the disease, that does not lead to any major complication. Generally, the vaccine is administered to children and adolescents in two doses. In children, the first dose is usually given in between 12 to 18 months, while the second dose is given between the age of 4 to 6 years.

Chickenpox Vaccine Complications
Its side effects are very rare. In most of the cases, the individual can experience slight discomfort at the injection site, i.e. the place where the needle has been inserted. Such minor side effects can include soreness or redness of the area, accompanied by pain and inflammation, muscle aches, headaches, fatigue and nausea. These side effects are minor problems, that resolve on their own within a few days. However, a few individuals can experience mild fever and skin rashes occasionally. Skin rash can sometimes last up to a month or so, which is again quite rare. In rare cases, this vaccine can cause certain serious side effects including seizures, pneumonia and low blood count. But, experts in this field are not very sure whether such problems are the result of chickenpox vaccine or are caused by some other factors.

But still, if vaccination is followed by symptoms like, severe allergic reactions such as skin rashes or hives and breathing difficulties, dizziness and high fever, then one should immediately contact a physician. Some people can get chickenpox even after being vaccinated. But, in most of the cases, it is a very mild outbreak, that does not cause much discomfort and problems. Another controversy that surrounds this vaccine is, that the risk of developing shingles may increase after getting vaccinated. However, there are not enough evidences to prove this connection, though, it may be possible to get herpes zoster or shingles after vaccination. Many experts are of the opinion that the risk of developing these diseases is much greater, after an infection by varicella virus, than chickenpox vaccination.

Only rarely, side effects of vaccination can lead to serious complications, that result in death of the individual. Therefore, physicians usually recommend chickenpox vaccination during childhood to prevent its occurrence in the future. But, the vaccine is generally not recommended for certain people, in order to avoid any kind of major complication. The individuals, for whom the vaccine is not recommended are pregnant women and people who are allergic to gelatin and neomycin, as well as those who had a previous episode of allergic reaction to varicella vaccine, those taking steroids and receiving cancer treatment and anyone with diseases like HIV, which are related to the immune system.