Why children vaccinated against chickenpox still catch it
More Aussie children are catching chickenpox despite being vaccinated. Now, experts want kids immunised twice. WHAT PARENTS NEED TO KNOW
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Exclusive: Thousands of children vaccinated against chickenpox are becoming infected because the government only funds one of the two doses recommended by its own immunisation advisory bodies.
One in five children who have been vaccinated will still get the disease and state governments are advising parents who want greater protection to pay between $55 and $80 for a second private vaccination four weeks after their child receives the first dose.
There have been over 2238 cases of chickenpox notified so far this year with the bulk occurring in young children aged under five but experts say these laboratory tested cases are just the tip of the iceberg.
Most cases of chickenpox are never formally tested or put on the notification list.
Initially the vaccine led to a huge drop in cases with just 1623 recorded in 2006, the year after the vaccine was introduced but since then the incidence has been rising.
Last year, there were more than 4500 notified cases of the highly contagious illness which has a huge economic impact because children can’t attend childcare or school for up to two weeks while infected and parents must take time off work.
In the last five years there have been over 15,000 notified cases.
The disease kills a handful of Australians every year, hospitalises hundreds and makes those who contract it susceptible to shingles, an extremely painful nerve condition that can leave some people crippled with pain for life.
Complications can include brain swelling, staphylococcus infection of the scars and varicella pneumonia.
The government’s official Immunisation Handbook, authored by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) and approved by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), recommends two doses of chickenpox vaccine.
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“Adolescents (≥14 years of age) and adults need to receive 2 doses of varicella vaccine to achieve adequate protection from varicella (chickenpox). The 2 doses should be given at least 4 weeks apart. However, a longer interval between vaccine doses is acceptable.”
However, the government’s free immunisation schedule only funds one dose at 18 months of age.
Paediatrician Professor Kristine Macartney who heads the National Centre for Immunisation Surveillance and Research said one dose of chickenpox vaccine prevents 80 per cent of cases but two doses prevents 97 per cent of cases.
The disease has been almost wiped out in the United States where two doses of the vaccine have been given, she said.
“I’m backing two doses but it has to be shown to be cost effective,” she said.
Griffith University public health and immunisation expert Professor Paul Van Buynder is also calling for a second dose of the vaccine to be funded.
The US and Canada provide two doses of the vaccine and he believes Australia should as well.
“Having children who have been vaccinated coming down with it isn’t astonishing,” Professor Paul Van Buynder said.
“It’s one of the reasons other countries recommend two doses … I personally believe we need two doses.”
Children who are vaccinated and who still contract the illness will get a less severe case of the illness with around 50 skin lesions instead of 500 and they are less likely to develop a fever and other complications and recover more quickly, Professor Macartney said.
Experts looked at providing two doses of the vaccine when it was introduced in Australia in 2005 but it did not stack up as cost effective.
The issue was reviewed again in 2008 when a pharmaceutical company applied for a government subsidy for a second dose but an expert government committee again found it was not cost effective.
CHICKENPOX VACCINE FACTS
The advice is to have a second chickenpox vaccine at least four weeks after the first shot. The question I need answered is how long can you wait to have that second vaccine? The effectiveness of the vaccine decreases with time so for maximum protection, getting the two shots as soon as possible is best, as long as there has been four weeks in between the two shots.
If your child was vaccinated at 18 months and is now a teenager is the second shot too late, do they then need to have two shots again?
It’s never too late to get that second shot — like all other vaccinations, all past vaccinations count so they won’t need two shots again.
What about adults do they need two shots?
Many adults would have had chickenpox as a child. If you’ve had chickenpox before, you would’ve developed immunity against it and you won’t need to get the vaccine. However, if you’re not sure, then it never hurts to get vaccinated to make sure you’re protected.
How long does the vaccine last. If you’ve had two doses as a child do you need a booster later in life?
Two doses of the vaccine have shown to protect up for up to 10 years after being vaccinated. According to the US Centre for disease control a case-control study conducted from 1997 to 2003 showed that one dose of varicella vaccine was 97 per cent effective in the first year after vaccination and 86 per cent effective in the second year.
Source: National Centre for Immunisation Surveillance and Research
Originally published as Why children vaccinated against chickenpox still catch it