Varicella Vaccine

About Varicella Vaccine

Michiaki Takahashi developed the varicella chickenpox vaccine in Japan in 1974. The vaccine was licensed in the US in 1995. Before the vaccine, chickenpox was a nearly universal childhood disease in the US, causing approximately 4 million cases, 10,000 hospitalizations, and 100 deaths annually. The vaccine is highly effective, and two doses provide greater protection than one. Vaccinated children appear to have a lower risk of later shingles than children who had natural chickenpox. A separate vaccine, Shingrix, is used against shingles in older adults. The US added varicella to the childhood immunization schedule in 1996. Chickenpox cases fell dramatically. Some countries, including the UK until 2026, did not routinely vaccinate children against chickenpox.