Chickenpox (varicella) vaccine

Children should receive the chickenpox vaccine as part of their routine childhood vaccinations.

Adolescents and adults who have not already been vaccinated or had the disease should consider getting the chickenpox vaccine. This will protect them from getting chickenpox as an adult when symptoms can be more severe.

Getting chickenpox while in the first or early second trimester of pregnancy increases the chance the baby could be born with birth defects. Becoming infected with chickenpox during pregnancy also increases risk of serious and potentially life-threatening complications – chickenpox during pregnancy leads to pneumonia 10 to 20 per cent of the time.

When planning pregnancy, it is important to find out if you’re immune to chickenpox. If immunity is not detected, consider getting vaccinated before falling pregnant, so that you and your baby are protected during and after your pregnancy. You cannot receive chickenpox vaccine while pregnant.

The chickenpox vaccine is a live vaccine and therefore not recommended during pregnancy.

It’s also important to tell your doctor or immunisation provider if you have experienced:

• any severe (anaphylaxis) reactions to previous chickenpox vaccine
• anaphylaxis following any vaccine component.

Benefits

Most children who get chickenpox have a mild illness, but some can become quite ill. Usually, adults who get chickenpox have a more severe illness.

It is rare to have chickenpox more than once, as infection and vaccination gives life-long immunity.

Once you have had chickenpox, the virus lies dormant (inactive) in the nerves of the spinal cord and can reactivate later in life, which is known as shingles. Shingles is an infection of a nerve area. It can be painful and sometimes has serious complications.

Getting vaccinated against chickenpox prevents infection with chickenpox and potential infection with shingles later in life.

Risks

Any medicine, including vaccines, can have potentially serious side effects, such as severe allergic reaction. However, the risk of this is extremely small. For possible side effects, see below.

Refer to ‘People not recommended to have the vaccine’ above for more information.

All vaccines available in Australia undergo strict safety testing before approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) (external site). Vaccine safety is continually monitored through AusVaxSafety, a national program that tracks vaccine reactions each year. More information is available throughAusVaxSafety for more information (external site).

Studies in the United States estimate the effectiveness of 1 dose of varicella vaccine in children to be:

• 80 to 85 per cent against any varicella disease
• 95 to 98 per cent against severe varicella

Learn more about vaccine safety.

After vaccination

If you develop a fever higher than 38.5°C after vaccination, take paracetamol as directed, depending on your weight and age.

Never give aspirin to children under 16 who have chickenpox because it can lead to a rare but serious illness called Reye's syndrome, which affects the brain and can be life-threatening.

Make sure you drink extra fluids and wear lightweight, loose clothing.

Common side effects

Common side effects of chickenpox vaccines are usually mild, occur soon after vaccination, last 1 to 2 days, and resolve without special treatment. These can include:

• generally mild and well tolerated, low-grade fever
• muscle aches
• soreness, swelling and redness and a small lump where the needle was given
• rash up to 5 to 26 days following vaccination (if this does occur, cover the rash and avoid contact with people who have impaired immunity for the duration of the rash).

Serious side effects

Vaccines, like all medicine, can cause side effects. Serious reactions, such as a severe allergic reaction, are extremely rare and usually happen within minutes to a few hours after vaccination. Immunisation providers are trained to recognise and manage allergic reactions.

You can learn more about possible side effects of vaccination and what to do if they occur.

When to seek help

If you or someone you care for experiences a reaction that worries you, seek medical advice:

• tell your immunisation provider if you’re still at the clinic
• see your doctor
• phone 1800MEDICARE (1800 633 422)
• visit your hospital emergency department
• call an ambulance.

Concerns about side effects

Your immunisation provider should report all suspected significant reactions, but you can also make a report.

Report any reaction that causes concern, whether minor or serious, to the Western Australian Vaccine Safety Surveillance (WAVSS) system (external site) – WA’s central reporting service significant adverse events (reactions) following immunisation.

Report it:

• via the WA Vaccine Safety Surveillance (WAVSS) system (external site) website
• by phoning WAVSS on 6456 0208 (9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday).

WAVSS may contact you for further information.

For more information, visit Reporting side effects after immunisation

The chickenpox vaccine is available from:

• GPs (general practice)
• community health clinics
• Aboriginal Medical Services

Some immunisation providers may charge a consultation fee for administering the vaccine. You should check if there are any costs when booking your immunisation appointment. 

For more information, see Where can I get immunised?