• Does my son need a booster shot for chicken pox?

My son first got his chicken pox vaccine when he was a year old, but now that he's 5, his doctor gave him a booster vaccine. Was this booster really necessary? I felt it was given way too soon after the first one.

3 Answers

  • Pediatrician
  • Maywood, IL

Yes, he needs a booster and it is usually given between 4-5 years of age. This will ensure that his titers are good and he is safe from that disease.

Shay

  • Infectious Disease Specialist (Pediatric)
  • Norfolk, Virginia

It’s perfectly fine to have the booster at the time your son got it. Getting two doses increases vaccine effectiveness from 86% to 98%. People who get two doses are more than three times less likely to get breakthrough chickenpox versus those who only get one shot.

Randall Fisher, M.D.

  • Pediatrician
  • Hattiesburg, Mississippi

That is the recommended time. Studies have show that the live viruses do not give lasting protection and need the booster dose.

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