most people develop lifetime immunity to chickenpox after the first occurrence and never experience it again. but the virus can sometimes resurface later in life as shingles (zoster). the current aim in the u. s. and many other countries is to achieve universal (or nearly universal) immunization of children with the chickenpox vaccine. the vaccination requires only two shots. the first vaccination is given at about 1 year of age and the second (booster) is given at 4 years of age. if an older person has not had chickenpox the shot may be given at any time. there have been few significant adverse reactions to the chickenpox vaccine. all children except those with a compromised immune system should have the vaccination. vaccination has been associated with a 90% decrease in the incidence of chickenpox and significantly lower complication rates in those who do develop the symptoms.
can chickenpox be prevented with a vaccine?