Until today, chickenpox has been a disease with no prevention only treatment. Only recently has a vaccine against chickenpox been available to guard against the discomfort and possible complications the disease can cause.
Chickenpox is a disease that is preventable. We give chickenpox shots to children after their first birthdays and again at kindergarten entry. For children who have not had a booster dose, we will catch them up any time or at a regular check up. Chickenpox has a risk of causing death in 1 in 10,000 and a complication risk of about 1 in 250. Complications range from mild to severe skin infections, brain infection and hepatitis.