Administration
This vaccine is a shot given subcutaneously (under the skin). It is recommended for all children under 13 and for everyone 13 or older who has never had chickenpox.
Two doses are always recommended. In the first case a first dose is administered at 12 to 15 months and a second dose at age 4–6 years. For people older than 13 the two doses are administered 4 to 8 weeks apart.
The varicella vaccine is not recommended for seriously ill people, pregnant women, people who have experienced a serious allergic reaction to the varicella vaccine in the past, people who are allergic to gelatin, people allergic to neomycin, people suffering from an immune system disease, such as HIV, people receiving high doses of steroids, people receiving treatment for cancer with x-rays, drugs or chemotherapy, as well as people who have received blood products or transfusions during the past 5 months.
Read more about this topic: Varicella Vaccine