Kids Need Second Shot to Ward off Chicken Pox

Over the past decade or so, medicine has been winning the battle over chicken pox. Since it was introduced, the chicken pox vaccine has made huge strides in warding off outbreaks and complications, even reducing chicken pox-induced hospitalizations by 84% in some areas. So what's with the sudden concern over it's effectiveness?

Well, new evidence shows that one quick shot may not provide the protection you think your child is getting. While doctors insist that it's still incredibly effective for the childhood years, that one round of vaccine may not extend to adulthood -- and that can be a very dangerous gamble.

The Canadian Pediatric Society has recently released an official statement outlining the danger of infection later in life: "Without a second dose, there is evidence that some children will lose immunity as they get older and will be at risk of illness as an adult," states Dr. Marina Salavadori, a pediatric disease specialist, on behalf of the CPS. And while the disease leaves children itchy and fairly miserable, it can have much more serious effects on adult bodies.

"There is increasing evidence that immunity to one dose of the vaccine can wane in a vaccinated population," the new CPS report tells us, "and the disease may be shifting to an older age group that can experience more severe disease and more complications." Furthermore, while chicken pox is a nasty burden for any adult, it's particularly dangerous for pregnant women, who will likely feel more severe effects and could pass the complications onto the fetus.

As more parents choose to forgo vaccinations for their children, the question of prevention has come to the forefront. Sure, it's hard to argue that over-medicating has led to drug-resistant bugs and weaker immunity in some, but are we in danger of swinging too far the other way? Would you send your child to school or daycare with children who are not vaccinated? Should vaccines be mandatory for children in public programs to prevent the spread of disease, or is this a decision to leave up to the parents?