Vaccines and Preventable Diseases:

Who Should Not Get Chickenpox Vaccine
For Public

You do not need to get the chickenpox vaccine if you have evidence of immunity against the disease.

Some people should not get chickenpox vaccine or they should wait.

• People should not get chickenpox vaccine if they have ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to a previous dose of chickenpox vaccine or any component of the vaccine, including gelatin or the antibiotic neomycin.
• People who are moderately or severely ill at the time the shot is scheduled should usually wait until they recover before getting chickenpox vaccine.
• Pregnant women should not get chickenpox vaccine. They should wait to get chickenpox vaccine until after they have given birth. Women should not get pregnant for 1 month after getting chickenpox vaccine.
• People with the following conditions should check with their doctor about whether they should get chickenpox vaccine, including anyone who:
  • Has HIV/AIDS or another disease that affects the immune system
  • Is being treated with drugs that affect the immune system, such as steroids, for 2 weeks or longer
  • Has any kind of cancer
  • Is getting cancer treatment with radiation or drugs
• People who recently had a transfusion or were given other blood products should ask their doctor when they may get chickenpox vaccine.

Related Pages

• Who Needs Chickenpox Vaccine
• Immunity Against (Protection From) Chickenpox
• Vaccine Information Statements (VIS)
  • Chickenpox
  • Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Chickenpox (Varicella)
• Possible Side Effects of Chickenpox Vaccine

 Return to main Varicella Vaccination page

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