varicella

Chickenpox is wrongly thought of as a harmless disease. Prior to widespread vaccination, chickenpox hospitalized 13,000 Americans and killed 150 every year. But even if it was a harmless infection, wouldn't we want to vaccinate our children to spare them the pain of shingles in their later years? 
Shingles vaccine, available since 2006, has only been given to 16% of the over-60 year old population who could most benefit. This is a failure of public health communication as well as medical primary care.