A Podful of Pediatrics

The One Where We Talk About Chickenpox

Episode Summary

Rashes, fevers, mystery bumps… childhood illnesses love to keep parents guessing. In this episode, we break down what chickenpox and shingles actually look like today, how they spread, and why the vaccines are still one of the strongest tools we have to keep families healthy. You’ll hear straight talk on symptoms, timing, contagious periods, and what turns a mild case into something more serious. We also get into shingles in adults, why it hits harder with age, and what decades of research actually say about long term immunity. In this episode: - What chickenpox looks like today - Why symptoms show up when they do - How it spreads and when it’s contagious - How vaccines protect kids, adults, and whole communities - What the latest research says about long term immunity

Episode Notes

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   https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4139527/
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    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17908529/
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12. 25 Years of Varicella Vaccination in the US. J Infect Dis 2022.
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13. CDC Vaccine Safety PDF (ACIP).
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    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27410958/
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