Chickenpox vaccination: Has the time come to include this in the spanish vaccination program?

Abstract

Chickenpox is a disease having high morbidity and is potentially serious and even fatal in certain high risk individuals. The chickenpox vaccination is effective, long-lasting, well tolerated and economically profitable. It is injected subcutaneously in one dose for children between 9 months and 12 years of age and two doses for those older than 13 years of age, with an interval of 4 to 8 weeks. In high risk children, an additional dose can be administered at 3 months if there is no seroconversion. No serological tests need to be performed routinely after the vaccination in healthy children and adults. In Spain, this vaccination is used in the hospital exclusively, and its administration is authorized for high risk subjects and their close seronegative contacts. However, we consider that it is advisable to include this in the Spanish vaccination program due to the health care, social and economic importance of the chickenpox vaccination, and that it could be injected at 15 months of age together with the triple viral vaccination.