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April 12, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Chickenpox Shot Is Added to List of Required Vaccines"

Chicago Tribune (www.chicagotribune.com) (04/11/02) P. 3N

Illinois has added the chickenpox vaccine to its list of state-mandated shots for schoolchildren, bringing to nine the number of shots children entering kindergarten, day care, or federally funded Head Start centers in the state must now receive.  The requirement for the varicella vaccine will officially take effect on July 1.  The vaccine has only been available in the United States since 1995; however, Japan has been using it for years, and studies indicate that immunity persists for several decades.

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