But while a dose of the varicella vaccination may be effective -- and two doses even more so -- researchers say we are still a long way off from eradicating the illness.
"Unfortunately, it is unlikely that we will get rid of chickenpox in our lifetime," Slifka says, adding that the virus can "hide" in the body of seemingly healthy individuals, re-emerging years later in the form of shingles. "Since it can hide in otherwise healthy people for so long before 'jumping out' as infectious virus, it will be nearly impossible to completely eradicate it -- at least with the current vaccines that we have available at this time."
But the vaccine is a start. And Freed says that parents who downplay the importance of the vaccine or fear its use in their children must bear in mind the risks of the illness.
"The risk of the vaccine is far less than the risk of the disease," he says.
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