(Varicella)
Chickenpox conjures up memories of itchy bumps and oatmeal baths for many adults. Before the vaccine became available in the United States in 1995, an average of 4 million people got chickenpox each year.
Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease, spreading when a person touches or breathes in the virus particles. Symptoms usually last about a week, and usually include an itchy rash of blisters, fever, headache, fatigue.
Chickenpox can be serious, even life-threatening.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year more than 3.5 million cases of chickenpox, 9,000 hospitalizations, and 100 deaths are prevented by chickenpox vaccination in the United States.
Learn more about the chickenpox vaccine.
Most side effects after vaccination are mild. They include:
- Pain, swelling, or redness where the shot was given
- Mild fever
- Chills
- Feeling tired
- Headache
- Muscle and joint aches
Although serious side effects following vaccination are rare, they do occur.
The U.S. government created the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program to reimburse people who suffer a serious injury as the result of a vaccine.
All vaccines administered to children and many vaccines administered to adults are covered by the federal vaccine program, including the chickenpox vaccine.
Serious injuries that can occur after a chickenpox vaccine include:
- GBS (Guillain-Barré syndrome)
- SIRVA (Shoulder injury related to vaccine administration)
- CIDP (Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy)
- AIDP (Acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy)
- ADEM (Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis)
- ITP (Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura)
- TP (thrombocytopenic purpura)
- Transverse myelitis (TM)
- Central nervous disorders
- Encephalopathy
- Anaphylaxis
- Brachial neuritis
- Rotator cuff tear
- Vasovagal syncope
- Injection site injury
- Abscess
- Shoulder injury
- Arm injury
The vaccine program will only consider compensation when injuries persist and require ongoing medical care for longer than six months.
If you or your child suffered an illness or injury after a chickenpox vaccine, contact our office for a free consultation with a member of our experienced vaccine team. Click here to see if you may be eligible to compensation from the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.
Our experienced vaccine injury team will discuss your options with you. If you are eligible, we can guide you through the process of applying to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, and help you get all the compensation you deserve.
We have represented people with vaccine injuries for more than thirty years. We know that these injuries can be life-changing and debilitating.
Our consultation is free, and if you win an award, our fees do not come out of your settlement. Any attorney’s fees are paid separately by the Vaccine Fund. You will never pay a fee for our assistance.