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Varilrix is a varicella vaccine that can be used in children over 9 months of age. The acquisition of immunity to smallpox requires the administration of two doses of the preparation. An alternative to Varilrix is the very similar formulation of Varivax. How much does the chickenpox vaccination cost and when should it be done?
Vaccination against chickenpox – for whom?
Vaccination against chickenpox belongs to the group recommended vaccinations. This means that there is no obligation to vaccinate a child against smallpox, and it is not reimbursed. There are two vaccines against chickenpox available on the Polish pharmaceutical market – Varilrix and Varivax. The composition of the preparations is very similar, they contain the same strain of the pox virus and show the same effectiveness. However, Varilrix remains the most widely used.
Varilrix is a smallpox vaccine used in children from 12 or 9 months of age and in adults. Preparation Varilrix is intended for use in healthy patients and people included in the so-called high-risk groups, i.e. those at risk of an extremely severe course of the disease, which include people suffering from leukemia, people receiving light immunosuppressants (immunosuppressants), patients donating organs for transplantation, patients suffering from various types of chronic diseases, as well as people from the immediate vicinity of patients included in the high-risk group.
- See also: Mandatory vaccinations for children – what should you remember?
Why is chickenpox a risk?
Chickenpox is a dangerous infectious disease that causes symptoms such as fever and numerous lesions on the surface of the skin and mucous membranes. The rash takes many forms as the disease progresses. After it subsides, small scars may remain on the skin, caused by excessive local infections and the scratching reflex. Other symptoms accompanying smallpox These include muscle aches, headaches, and enlarged lymph nodes. The risks associated with chickenpox result from possible complications, as well as the fact that it is a very contagious disease (up to 90-95%). This is why vaccination against smallpox is recommended, as due to the intake of antibodies, natural immunity to the disease is created.
In severe course of the disease, the consequence of smallpox may be various complications, including some life-threatening. The relatively common complications include bacterial dermatitis, pneumonia, disorders of the nervous system (meningitis, brain inflammation, less often the cerebellum), and acute thrombocytopenia. They are less common complications of chicken pox such as inflammation of the joints, kidneys or the heart muscle. There are also paralysis of the facial nerve and inflammation of the optic nerve. In the event of these complications, hospitalization may be necessary.
It can be dangerous to get sick chickenpox in pregnant women. The disease poses a risk to the fetus, which may be permanently damaged.
Vaccination for chickenpox and shingles
Shingles is a disease closely related to chickenpox. Shingles infection is caused by the same virus as smallpox, the VZV virus. This disease can affect people who have already had chickenpox, because the virus remains in the body for many years in an inactive form. If the virus is activated, the host develops shingles. Vaccination against chickenpox is also effective as a preventive measure against shingles.
The risk of developing shingles is higher in people who have had chickenpox before than in those who have been vaccinated. It should also be remembered that a person suffering from shingles infects with the chickenpox virus.
Shingles most often develops in people over 50 and in immunocompromised adults. It is characterized by skin symptoms (rash and painful blisters). Complications partially overlap with those of smallpox (pneumonia, facial nerve paralysis), but there are also neuralgia, partial loss of hearing or vision.
Varilrix vaccine – composition and action
Varilrix contains the active substance, which it is wirus Varicella zoster (0,5 ml), Oka strain (live, attenuated smallpox virus). The other ingredients in the vaccine are: lactose, sorbitol, mannitol, water, and amino acids for injection. In addition, the vaccine contains trace amounts of neomycin.
Varilrix is a slightly creamy yellow powder. Before application, it is dissolved in water for injections and applied immediately afterwards. A new, clean needle is used to give each dose of vaccine. Varilrix is usually injected into the arm or thigh.
Varilrix is not intended for retail sale. Only medical facilities use it. For this reason, Varilrix is available in packages containing 1, 10, 25 or 100 vials of the preparation. The manufacturer of Varilrix is the Belgian pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals.
The second vaccine against chicken pox and herpes zoster, i.e. Varivax, is a preparation with a very similar composition and practically identical action. For this reason, it can be used, for example, as a booster dose, also when Varilrix was used during the first injection.
Read also about other recommended vaccinations, important in health prophylaxis:
- Vaccination against hepatitis B – when should you get vaccinated?
- Meningococcal vaccine – dates, complications and price of vaccinations
Varilrix vaccine – precautions
Some people may be excluded from receiving Varilrix. For this reason, medical advice should be sought if the patient:
- is allergic to any component of the vaccine,
- in his treatment history he has shown hypersensitivity to the effects of neomycin,
- has had a history of hypersensitivity to other smallpox vaccines,
- suffers from diseases of the immune system or is taking medications that weaken the immune system,
- is pregnant,
- is low-grade or has a fever
- are planning an organ transplant,
- are planning to do a skin test (called a tuberulin test) to look for tuberculosis.
Often, symptoms occur immediately after the vaccine is given and that you should inform the staff of the hospital or facility where the vaccine is given. It is recommended that you tell your doctor about all drugs and supplements you have recently taken, including those available without a prescription. This also applies to medications taken for chronic diseases. Certain medicinal substances may make it necessary to postpone the vaccination for another 3 months.
It is also recommended that women receiving Varilrix vaccine use contraceptive precautions for 1 month to help avoid pregnancy. In addition, Varilrix has no influence on driving or operating machinery and equipment, and does not adversely affect male or female fertility.
It is worth noting that there are few reports on the possibility of occurrence acute form of chicken pox after receiving vaccines containing the strains also used in Varilrix. In these cases, the internal organs were affected by the disease. These situations only occurred in people with diagnosed immunodeficiencies.
Smallpox vaccine – adverse vaccine reactions
After vaccinations, post-vaccination reactions are quite common, i.e. short-term local symptoms, less often general ones, which disappear spontaneously in a short time. If a health disorder is observed four weeks after vaccination against chickenpox, we can speak of adverse post-vaccination reactions, i.e. NOP. There are fairly typical mild reactions, more rarely serious or severe reactions. The latter (e.g. anaphylactic reaction) are life-threatening and require an immediate visit to the hospital.
The most common side effects caused by Varilrix administration are:
- pain and redness of the skin at the injection site
- swelling of the skin
- low-grade fever or fever
- rash and other skin lesions.
Less common symptoms are: respiratory tract infection, pharyngitis, runny nose, cough, swollen glands, dizziness and headache, drowsiness, irritability, vomiting, pox-like rash, itching, muscle and joint pain, fatigue , depressed well-being.
The extremely rare cases of NOP include conjunctivitis, diarrhea, and urticaria. In addition, symptoms such as: allergic reactions, including anaphylactic reactions, shingles, encephalitis, cerebellitis, transient gait disturbances and impaired motor coordination (ataxia, unsteady gait, problems with maintaining balance), thrombocytopenia, convulsions, erythema multiforme occur occasionally.
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