I recently saw a child who was put on aspirin (salicylate) therapy by his cardiologist. Can this child receive varicella vaccine?
In the package insert the vaccine manufacturer recommends avoiding salicylate therapy within 6 weeks of varicella vaccine because of the risk of Reye Syndrome. We have found no reports of Reye Syndrome following varicella vaccine, but some experts believe it is prudent to follow this precaution because of the theoretical risk. We recommend that you discuss this with the child’s cardiologist. Perhaps the child can receive some alternative therapy at least temporarily so the vaccine can be administered. If the child is not vaccinated, the risk of becoming infected with wild varicella virus increases, and we know that Reye syndrome has occurred following natural disease, especially in children on salicylate-therapy. The risk of varicella infection would increase if there was a chickenpox outbreak in the area.
