In addition,

the survey findings revealed the importance of health care providers in

parents' decision to vaccinate their children against chickenpox. Almost

all parents (90 percent) chose to vaccinate their child if their health

care provider recommended the vaccine. A majority of parents said their

health care provider's recommendation was the primary reason they chose

to vaccinate.

The CDC recommends

that children be vaccinated against chickenpox after their first birthday.

The chickenpox vaccine is not for everyone, however. For example, it is

contraindicated in persons with a history of hypersensitivity to any component

of the vaccine, including gelatin. Parents should talk to their healthcare

provider about whether vaccination is right for their child. As with any

vaccine, the chickenpox vaccine does not result in a protective effect

in all vaccinees. Adverse reactions that have been reported with the use

of the chickenpox vaccine include fever, injection site complaints and

rash (injection site and generalized). For more information about the

side effects associated with the vaccine, talk to your health care provider.

The survey

was conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of NAPNAP and Merck &

Co. Inc.

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