What are the benefits of the chicken pox vaccine?
It may seem unnecessary, because childhood chicken pox (also known as varicella) is usually a relatively mild illness. And some parents think it’s better to let their kids be exposed to chicken pox so they’ll have the illness (and the resulting immunity) naturally. But most experts now recommend the chicken pox vaccine, and many schools and daycare centers require it. Here’s why: 1) Chicken pox is no party. If your child gets it, he’s likely to develop a rash of itchy, painful blisters accompanied by fever and fatigue. If the blisters get infected, he may need antibiotics. They may also leave permanent scars, possibly on his face. If he’s going to daycare or school when he gets chicken pox, he’ll have to stay home for eight or nine days. 2) Chicken pox can be serious and even deadly. Before the vaccine came along, an average of 10,600 hospitalizations and 100 to 150 deaths caused by chicken pox occurred annually in the United States. Most of the severe complications and deaths occurred
