Don't Ignore Chicken Pox Vaccine

Disorders Cure

oi-suparna-chakraborty Chakaraborthy

By Suparna Chakaraborthy

Friday, March 11, 2011, 12:52

The Spring/Summer patent disease Chicken Pox has made it's appearance and is fast growing as a threat with several cases all across India. Thus, chicken pox vaccines have become the need of the hour.

Chicken Pox vaccine which has already gained popularity in US is still in a nacent stage in India. Many ignore the vaccine beacuse of it's side effects. However, it is important for the prevention of the disease.

Benefits of Chicken Pox Vaccine as said by the experts -

1.Chicken Pox which is thought to be a viral infection with not much harm, actually has a history of being a killer disease. United States once had reported an average of 10,600 people hospitalized and 100-150 deaths due to the disease. If the disease grows upto become an epidemic, then it might result in mass deaths.

2.The vaccine is not 100 percent effective and result in occurrence of the disease even after the vaccine but it surely checks the severity of the disease.Children who have received the vaccine usually face only a mild form of the disease. It means slight fever, lesser blisters and quick recovery. It also checks the contagious side of the disease.

3.It becomes dangerous when it gets related to the disease called shingles. Shingles are the blisters which effect the central nervous system. In this case the blister fades away and erupts again on the same spot.

4.One of the well known fact about the disease is the scars which it leaves behind. The vaccine prevents it. As the vaccine results in no or a mild occurrence of the disease, the scars are not deep enough.

Chicken Pox Vaccine In India -

According to a research at the Yale School of Medicine, two doses of vaccine is more effective. They came to the conclusion after noticing that children who received two doses of the vaccine were 95% lower in getting the disease. In India however, the scenario is different.

DNA reports, that US researchers are not sure of the same effect in Indian context. “In India, we don't have adequate data about chicken pox to suggest anything about the second dosage. Moreover, chicken pox is quite an endemic in India, thus creating herd immunity among the community. Thus, a single dose may be enough here," said Dr Kishore Kumar, paediatrician and chairman and MD, The Cradles.

Dr. Preeti Galagali says that In India there are several cases in which children get the disease even after chicken pox vaccine is given but the intensity of the disease is mild and is basically the side effect of the vaccine. Thus, Indian Academy of Paediatricians do not recommend a second dosage of vaccines at present.

Dr Aravind Shenoy, HoD, pediatrics, Manipal Hospital says, “While the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends five to 10 years of age as the right time for a second dosage of the vaccine, research needs to be done to find the right time for their Indian counterparts. Also in India, February-March-April is the time for chicken pox, as well as the board exams."

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.