Chicken Pox

Dear Lisa

My 6 year old daughter is in Kindergarten and I received a notice from her school that one of her classmates developed Chicken Pox. How could this be? I thought that all children in school are immunized for Chicken Pox. My child received the vaccine, does this mean that she can get the chicken pox too?

Don't want Chicken Pox - N.J.

Dear "Don't Want Chicken Pox",

Yes, most states recommend that children receive the Chicken Pox Vaccine (Varicella) before entering kindergarten and New Jersey is one of them. Even if a child is immunized with the Chicken Pox Vaccine, they may contract a milder form of the disease. A milder case usually includes scattered lesions or pox (compared to 500 or more pox in naturally acquired disease), a mild sore throat and a sometimes a low grade temperature. A mild case usually only lasts for a few days, as compared to a full blown case of chicken pox which lasts approximately 2 weeks.

Some parents argue that they don't want the Chicken Pox Vaccine if there is a chance that their child can still get Chicken Pox. The reason why the vaccine is recommended is that it dramatically reduces the chances of severe disease and its complications. Research studies show that the Varicella vaccine is almost 100% effective against severe Varicella disease (New England Journal of Medicine. 2001;344).

In regards to the question, "Is my child going to get Chicken Pox?" Generally there is a 10 to 15% chance that your child will get Chicken Pox if she is vaccinated.

I wish you well.

Lisa Kelly, R.N., P.N.P., C.
Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

Pediatric Advice About Infectious Diseases