by Ashley Olson

Created on: June 24, 2009

Varicella, commonly known as the chicken pox, is an infectious disease that was once thought of to be a mild childhood disease. The realization of the seriousness of Varicella sparked interest with health officials and a Varicella vaccination emerged. Although the rise in those immunized with the Varicella vaccination was slow, the outcome proved to be successful.

Prior to the introduction of the Varicella vaccination, Varicella was a fairly common infectious disease that nearly everyone would be affected by at some point in their lifetime. School aged children are still to this day most commonly infected with Varicella, but the disease also infects adult and small children. The seriousness of Varicella is drastically increased in adults, and it also has a higher mortality rate than in children. Prior to the Varicella vaccination, there were some four million cases of Varicella annually in the U.S. alone, causing thousands of hospitalizations, and hundreds of deaths

The Varicella vaccine was introduced in 1995, and recommended for anyone over the age of 12 months who had never been infected with Varicell. Although it took some time for the immunization of Varicella to be widespread, it was eventually discovered to be quiet effective. The vaccination proved to be 70% to 90% effective in preventing Varicella infections, and 95% effective in preventing serious cases of Varicella. Studies have found that those infected with Varicella after being vaccinated had far more mild cases with low to no fever and less lesions.

Nearly all children in the U.S. today are vaccinated[1] with the Varicella vaccination. Prior to entry into most school systems an immunization record including the Varicella vaccine is

required of children as proof that they have had the proper immunizations. School officials, teachers, and other workers, along with childcare workers are also strongly urged to receive the vaccination to help control, and eventually eliminate the disease from the school system.

Although breakthrough cases of Varicella do occur, the disease is on the decline. Vaccinations of the disease have proved to be extremely effective, and even cases that do occur seem to be mild in comparison to pre-vaccinated cases. Today's standards of immunization may one day make a common childhood disease a thing of the past like that of the mumps or measles.

[1] Some parents do not vaccinated their children for fear of Autism or other reasons including religious beliefs.

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