Varicella Information for Health Professionals
On this page:
Healthcare worker immunity
Clinical features and epidemiology
Reporting
Vaccine information
ACIP Recommendations and MMWR reports
Healthcare worker immunity
- Ensuring Immunity to Varicella in Healthcare Workers
Information for making sure healthcare workers are immune to varicella.
Clinical features and epidemiology
- Chickenpox (Varicella): For Health Care Professionals
Information about chickenpox from the CDC for health care professionals. Attention: Non-MDH link
- Varicella: Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (PDF: 607KB/22 pages)
Varicella chapter in the CDC's Pink Book on vaccine-preventable diseases, 11th Edition (May 2009). Attention: Non-MDH link
- Chickenpox (Varicella): Photos
The CDC offers links to sites with photographs of people with varicella. Attention: Non-MDH link. Warning: Graphic medical images.
Reporting
- Reporting
Varicella
Varicella-zoster disease must be reported to MDH within one working day. Find out who should report varicella-zoster to the Minnesota Department of Health, which forms to use, and when to call.
- Reporting
Form for Chickenpox and Shingles Cases in Schools
School data will help MDH determine trends, duration, and transmission patterns, and any association between cases and immunization or disease history.
Vaccine information
- Varicella Vaccine Product Information and VIS
Attention: Non-MDH links
Generic nameManufacturerPrescribing informationVISMeasles, mumps, rubella, varicella (MMRV) Merck ProQuad Chickenpox Vaccine: What You Need to Know Varicella (Var) Merck Varivax
- Varicella Vaccine Clinical Questions and Answers
Questions and answers for health professionals from the CDC. Attention: Non-MDH link
- Ask the Experts: Varicella Vaccine
Experts from the CDC answer challenging questions about vaccines and their administration. Attention: Non-MDH link
ACIP Recommendations and MMWR reports
- ACIP Recommendations: Prevention of Varicella
June 22, 2007 recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Attention: Non-MDH link
- MMWR Publications on Varicella
Articles published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on varicella. Attention: Non-MDH link
- Decline
in Annual Incidence of Varicella
MMWR article from September 19, 2003 about the decline in varicella in various states between 1990 and 2001. Attention: Non-MDH link

