Chickenpox is an infectious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus. Chickenpox is usually more severe in adults and very young infants than children. People who get the virus often develop a rash of spots that look like blisters all over their bodies. These blisters develop into cloudy sores, which finally become dry brown crusts. . The disease typically makes children tired and slightly feverish. Winter and spring are the most common times of the year for chickenpox to occur.

It is also possible to get chicken pox more than once, but it’s rare and usually a little different the second time around. It’s called shingles. Once a person gets chicken pox, the virus remains in the body forever and can reappear as a secondary outbreak, called shingles, later in life.

People who are given the vaccination can still get it after the vaccination but not as severely. Vaccinated persons who get chickenpox generally have fewer than 50 spots or bumps, which may resemble bug bites more than typical, fluid-filled chickenpox blisters.

If you get the vaccine and you don’t develop the blisters you risk the chance of getting them when you are older, which for pregnant women and the elderly are life threatening. It is safer to get this as a child then as an adult.