Yes, there is a chickenpox vaccine, and it has been part of the routine childhood immunization schedule in the United States since 1995. The vaccine, sold under the brand name Varivax and made by Merck, is approved for anyone 12 months of age and older. Since its introduction, chickenpox cases in the U.S. have dropped by more than 97%.
How the Vaccine Is Given
The chickenpox vaccine is a two-dose series. For children, the first dose is recommended between 12 and 15 months of age, with the second dose at 4 through 6 years old. If you’re 13 or older and were never vaccinated or never had chickenpox, you can still get both doses, spaced 4 to 8 weeks apart.
For younger children, the vaccine is also available as part of a combination shot called MMRV, which covers measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox in a single injection. For the first dose in children under 4 years old, the CDC generally recommends giving the chickenpox shot separately from the MMR vaccine unless a parent specifically requests the combination. For the second dose, or for children 4 and older getting their first dose, the combination MMRV is typically preferred since it means one fewer needle.
How Well It Works
The two-dose series is highly effective. Before the vaccination program began in the early 1990s, the U.S. saw more than 4 million chickenpox cases every year, along with 10,500 to 13,500 hospitalizations and 100 to 150 deaths. Today, annual cases have fallen to fewer than 150,000, hospitalizations to under 1,400, and deaths to fewer than 30. That shift is almost entirely attributable to the vaccine.
A single dose provides substantial protection, but the second dose closes a gap. Some people who receive only one dose can still catch a mild form of chickenpox, usually with far fewer blisters and no fever. The second dose significantly reduces even that risk.
Common Side Effects
Most side effects are mild and short-lived. About 1 in 5 children experience soreness, swelling, or redness at the injection site within three days of the first dose, and roughly 1 in 4 after the second dose. About 7 out of 100 children develop a low fever after the first dose, dropping to 4 out of 100 after the second. A small chickenpox-like rash near the injection site shows up in about 3 out of 100 children after dose one and 1 out of 100 after dose two. Temporary joint pain and stiffness can also occur.
Serious side effects are rare. They can include severe rash, lung or liver infections, meningitis, and febrile seizures. Severe allergic reactions, marked by hives, facial swelling, difficulty breathing, or a fast heartbeat, are possible but extremely uncommon.
Who Should Not Get the Vaccine
The chickenpox vaccine is a live vaccine, meaning it contains a weakened form of the virus. That makes it unsuitable for certain groups. People with weakened immune systems, including those with certain antibody deficiencies or HIV infection, should not receive it. Pregnant women should also avoid the vaccine. If you fall into either category, your doctor can discuss alternative ways to reduce your risk of exposure.
Cost and Access
The chickenpox vaccine is covered by most insurance plans as a routine immunization. For families who are uninsured or underinsured, the federal Vaccines for Children (VFC) program provides the vaccine at no cost to children 18 and younger. The VFC program automatically covers all vaccines recommended by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and the chickenpox vaccine is on that list. For adults, the Affordable Care Act requires most marketplace and employer plans to cover recommended vaccines without a copay.
Why It Still Matters for Adults
If you grew up before 1995 and had chickenpox as a child, you likely have natural immunity and don’t need the vaccine. But if you’re unsure whether you ever had chickenpox, or you know you didn’t, vaccination is worth considering. Chickenpox tends to be more severe in adults than in children, with higher rates of complications like pneumonia. A simple blood test can check whether you already have antibodies from a past infection, which can help you decide.
Getting vaccinated also lowers your future risk of shingles, which is caused by the same virus reactivating later in life. While a separate shingles vaccine exists for adults over 50, avoiding the initial chickenpox infection in the first place means the virus never takes up residence in your nerve cells.