What can be done to prevent chicken pox?
The most effective way to prevent chicken pox in children is to get the vaccine. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children over 12 months of age receive this vaccine. The vaccine licensed in the U.S. has been used for a little over six years now and immunity has been holding relatively strong. About 95 percent of children remain immune after six years. However, because it is not 100 percent, these children will most likely require booster shots as an adult. This is where the controversy comes in. Adults typically do not followup with their booster shots, and chicken pox is more deadly in adults. Therefore, many are concerned about passing on the illness to adults who receive the chicken pox shot but become unknowingly susceptible to chicken pox due to waning immunity.
