Chicken Pox Vaccine

Chickenpox is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease, and one of the easiest ways to protect your family is a quick visit to The Shot Nurse. Our walk-in offices across the Memphis and Tri-state area offer the chickenpox (varicella) vaccine for children, teens, and adults, with no appointment needed for most visits and complimentary car-side service for anyone with impaired mobility.

What Is Chickenpox?

Chickenpox, medically known as varicella, is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). It’s best known for the itchy, blister-like rash that gives the disease its name, but the illness typically also brings fever, fatigue, and a general feeling of being unwell. Symptoms usually appear 10 to 21 days after exposure, and the rash itself tends to move through stages (small red bumps, fluid-filled blisters, and finally scabs) over about a week.

Before a vaccine was available, chickenpox was considered a near-universal childhood illness. In the early 1990s, it caused roughly 4 million infections, 10,500 to 13,500 hospitalizations, and 100 to 150 deaths every year in the United States. Most of those hospitalizations, and about half of the deaths, were children.

Chickenpox is usually mild in healthy young children, but it can be far more serious in infants, teens, adults, pregnant women, and anyone with a weakened immune system. Potential complications include:

• Severe bacterial skin infections
• Scarring
• Dehydration
• Pneumonia
• Encephalitis (brain swelling)
• In rare cases, death

The varicella-zoster virus never fully leaves the body after a chickenpox infection. It stays dormant in nerve tissue and can reactivate decades later as shingles (herpes zoster), a painful blistering rash that can lead to lasting nerve pain.

How Chickenpox Spreads

Chickenpox is very contagious, spreading primarily through airborne respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or breathes near others, as well as direct contact with fluid from chickenpox blisters. A person with chickenpox is typically contagious starting about one to two days before the rash appears and remains contagious until all blisters have crusted over, which usually takes about five to seven days. 

The Importance of Chickenpox Vaccines

The chickenpox vaccine has been part of the routine U.S. childhood immunization schedule since 1995, and its track record is one of the strongest in modern public health. Since the vaccination program began, chickenpox cases in the U.S. have dropped by about 97%. Among children and young adults born during the vaccination era, hospitalizations have also dropped 97% and deaths are now considered nearly eliminated.

Getting vaccinated doesn’t just protect the person receiving the shot. It also helps protect people around you who can’t be vaccinated, such as infants under 12 months, pregnant women, and people who are immunocompromised, by reducing how much the virus circulates in the community. Note that even if you’ve been vaccinated, getting infected with Chickenpox is still possible. Called “breakthrough” chickenpox, this version of the illness is typically much milder.

Who Needs A Chickenpox Vaccine and When

Current CDC guidance recommends two doses of chickenpox vaccine for anyone without evidence of immunity (meaning no reliable history of chickenpox, no prior vaccination, and no lab confirmation of past infection). The exact timing depends on age:

Children

• Dose 1: 12 through 15 months of age
• Dose 2: 4 through 6 years of age (may be given earlier, as long as it’s at least 3 months after dose 1)

Adults 

Certain adults are especially encouraged to check their immunity status and get vaccinated if needed, including:

• Healthcare personnel
• Household contacts of people who are immunocompromised
• People who work in or attend childcare facilities or schools
• International travelers
• Women who are planning a pregnancy (the vaccine should be completed at least one month before becoming pregnant, since it isn’t given during pregnancy)
• Nonpregnant women of childbearing age

The chickenpox vaccine may be given at the same visit as other routine vaccines. If you’re unsure whether you or your child already has full protection, our nurses can help you figure out next steps at any of our Mid-South locations.

Is the Chickenpox Vaccine Safe?

The chickenpox vaccine has been studied extensively and used safely for decades. As with most vaccines, mild side effects are the most common and typically resolve on their own within a few days. Serious reactions are rare. As with any vaccine, talk with your provider about your (or your child’s) health history if you have specific questions.

Get the Chickenpox Vaccine at The Shot Nurse

The Shot Nurse has provided immunization and wellness services to the greater Memphis area for years, and the chickenpox vaccine is one of the many vaccines we offer for kids, teens, and adults. Need an immunization? Our nurses can review your vaccination history and get you the right doses at the right intervals. Come visit us today in Memphis or Germantown!

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