Eczema and Chicken Pox Vaccine
As part of the Atopic Dermatitis Vaccinia Network, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) completed a study looking at the immune response to the Varicella (chicken pox) vaccine in children with atopic dermatitis (eczema) compared to non-atopic controls. There was no difference in immune response between the groups; which means the eczema patients handled the chicken pox vaccination well. Eczema can be flared by any stressor and sometimes children have mild flares after their immunizations; this is not specific to the chicken pox vaccine but to immunizations in general. This is not a reason to avoid the vaccines, but parents may need to do a little more skin care for a few days after the vaccine.