If I get the chickenpox vaccine, I won’t get chickenpox?

Not entirely true

Although vaccination with the varicella vaccine can significantly reduce the risk of contracting varicella, it cannot guarantee that you will not be infected with varicella at all.

Sometimes, chickenpox still occurs after getting the chickenpox vaccine, which is called a "breakthrough case." This shows that the chickenpox vaccine is not 100% effective.

We know that the varicella vaccine needs to be administered in two doses. Data show that the protective effect of only one dose of varicella vaccine is about 60% to 90%. Data from the World Health Organization show that if two doses of varicella vaccine are fully administered, the protective effect can reach more than 95%.

Fortunately, even if the breakthrough infection mentioned above occurs, the patient's chickenpox symptoms are usually mild, including rare fever, mild rash, and a short course of illness.

Considering that the varicella vaccine can effectively reduce varicella-related complications and significantly reduce the risk of serious diseases, from a population perspective, vaccination remains a key step in preventing the spread of varicella and one of the best public health measures to prevent serious complications.

Author: Tang Jiaoqing, MD, attending physician of dermatology

Review | Feng Jun, deputy chief physician of the Dermatology Department of Sinopharm Tongmei General Hospital