Good news: U.S. cases of chickenpox have fallen by nearly 80 percent between 2000 and 2010, the CDC reports. And much of that decline can be attributed to vaccination.
The chickenpox (varicella) vaccine, which was first introduced in 1996 as a single dose, resulted in a 43 percent decline in disease incidence between 2000 and 2005. In 2006, the CDC recommended that children receive two doses of the vaccine, and the number of cases further decreased by 72 percent over the next four years.
Chickenpox is a very serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and even death in extreme cases, especially when an adult comes down with it, ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross points out. The vaccine, therefore, is an important public health measure that is both safe and effective.
You can read more about childhood vaccinations in ACSH s publications here and here.