Chicken pox is one of the most common diseases occurring among children who are under the age of fifteen and also among adults. This is a highly communicable disease. Children and adults suffering from this disease suffer from discomfort. The disease may not cause discomfort in some children or adults but can lead to skin infections, pneumonia and swelling of the brain. Since it is impossible to predict when an individual will suffer from this disease, chicken pox vaccines are given to children so as to prevent them from getting affected with the disease. The vaccine is given to a child who is above the age of one year. It has recently been found that the vaccines administered to the children and adults can also lead to side effects. Having an in-depth knowledge about the side effects of the chicken pox vaccine will help in detecting them easily and will help in starting the treatment earlier.
Rash
Individuals given the chicken pox vaccine have been found to develop rashes on their body. The rash can range from mild rash to the formation of small bumps. The immunization contains a very small and weak sample of the live virus. The body of the individual builds immunity by fighting off against the virus. In a few cases, however, rashes develop on the skin of the individual. It has also been found in rare cases that the virus can also be transmitted through the rashes that develop on the body of the person. This also will affect more in those individuals who have a weak immune system. The rash can also develop after a month after the individual has been given the vaccine.
Reye’s syndrome
Chicken pox vaccine manufacturers have always warned people against the using of aspirin products immediately after injecting of the vaccine in the body of an individual. Due to the potential of developing the Reye’s syndrome, which is a severe and potentially deadly reaction, consuming aspirin based products have been strictly restricted for such individuals. This disease spreads during a viral infection which usually follows after the individual have consumed aspirin. The onset of the Reye’s disease is sudden in an individual. Persistent vomiting, convulsions, listlessness, irritability and loss of consciousness are the symptoms of the disease.
Encephalitis
This is one of the most serious complications that can develop in individuals due to the side effects of chicken pox vaccine. Encephalitis is the swelling and inflammation of the brain of individuals. This has been found to be always caused by viral infections in individuals. This condition occurs mostly among the aged and the children or infants. Since the immune system of both the young and the old are weak, the virus infections lead to a swelling of their brains. The live virus administered in the body of an individual can also lead to the formation of clusters and also cause brain swelling in the individual. The swelling of the brain cells destroys the nerve cells and cause bleeding in the brain (intracerebral hemorrhage) and even may cause brain damage in individuals. Stomach infection is one of the symptoms of encephalitis in individuals.
Pneumonia
Pneumonia has been hailed as one of the potentially serious complications that individuals can develop as side effects of chicken pox. Infants, elderly individuals, pregnant ladies are mostly at risk from these complications. The individual who have been administered with the chicken pox vaccine may become an easy victim of pneumonia. The live virus that will be entered in the body with the vaccines may also lead to the formation of pneumonia in the individual. These viruses may get spread to the lungs and may also react with the viruses and bacteria that are present in the nose and sinuses of the individual.
Seizures
Seizures can often occur in individuals who have been given the chicken pox vaccine. These seizures usually start after the individual suffers from a fever due to the effect of the vaccines on the person. Sudden jerk in the muscle or staring involuntarily has been found to be the symptoms of seizures in individuals. Seizures occur rarely in individuals. It has been found that one out of every thousand individuals become victims of seizures after been administered the chicken pox vaccine.
Shingles
There is a possibility of developing shingles after an individual has been given the chicken pox vaccine. Though the risk is very minimal, it can however be a side effect that a person can develop. The rate of shingles formation after been infected with chicken pox is sixty eight out of every 100,000 infections. This is relatively high as compared to the shingle formation after been given the vaccine which is two out of every 100,000 of infections. The shingles can appear in individuals after a month from the vaccination to even a year after the vaccination has been given. Like the shingles which individuals develop when they get infected with chicken pox, these shingles are also very contagious and have the ability to cause chicken pox in another individual.
Insomnia
This has also been found as one of the complications that individuals can develop after been vaccinated with the chicken pox vaccine. The inability to sleep peacefully during the night or staying awake through the night is called insomnia. It has been found that individuals who have been given chicken pox vaccinations have suffered from insomnia. The live virus that is left in the body for building the immunity often reacts in the body and causes sleeplessness in the individual. That is why it is always advisable not to take alcohol or smoke after getting yourself vaccinated. This can hamper with the sleep and leave you fatigued throughout the day. The individuals who are given chicken pox vaccines are also told not to drink too much coffee or tea as the caffeine amount in both the products coupled with the virus in the body can lead to disturbed sleep in individuals.
