Chickenpox-related deaths in the U.S. have decreased dramatically.

[Graph depicts decline in number of deaths per year from more than 120 in 1994 to fewer than 20 in 2010 while vaccination rate increased from around 10% in 1996, the year that U.S. vaccination program began, to 90% in 2010.]


Before U.S. vaccination began:

• Chickenpox caused more than 100 deaths every year

• Chickenpox caused more than 10,000 hospitalizations every year

• More than 4 million people got chickenpox every year

Since U.S. vaccination began (after 15 years of vaccination):

• 90% decrease in deaths, meaning fewer than 20 people die from chickenpox every year

• 84% fewer hospitalizations, meaning fewer than 1,700 people are hospitalized for chickenpox every year

• 92% fewer cases means fewer than 350,000 people get chickenpox every year

Two doses of vaccine are needed to protect against chickenpox.

Find out more about chickenpox at http://www.cdc.gov/chickenpox/


CS247225-A version 2A

NOV 2014

Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library collection

United States