1. What VARIVAX and VARILRIX are and what they are used for
VARIVAX and VARILRIX are vaccines to help protect adults and children against chickenpox (varicella). Vaccines are used to protect you or your child against infectious diseases.
They can be administered to persons 12 months of age or older.
They may also be administered to infants from 9 months of age under special circumstances, such as to conform with national vaccination schedules or in outbreak situations.
It may also be given to persons who have no history of chickenpox, but who have been exposed to someone who has chickenpox.
Vaccination within 3 days of exposure may help prevent chickenpox or reduce the severity of disease, resulting in fewer skin lesions and shorter duration of illness. In addition, there is limited information
that being vaccinated up to 5 days after exposure may reduce disease severity.
As with other vaccines, VARIVAX does not completely protect all individuals from naturally acquired
chickenpox.
2. What you need to know before you or your child receives VARIVAX or VARILRIX
Do not use if:
− you or your child are allergic to any varicella vaccine, to any of the ingredients of this vaccine or neomycin (which may be present as a trace residue).
− you or your child have a blood disorder or any type of malignant cancers including leukaemia and lymphomas that affects the immune system.
− you or your child are receiving immunosuppressive therapy (including high doses of corticosteroids).
− you or your child have any illness (such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)) or take any medicine that weakens the immune system.
Whether you or your child receives the vaccine will depend upon the level of your immune defences.
− you or your child have a family member born with immunodeficiency, or there is a family history of immunodeficiency.
− you or your child have active untreated tuberculosis.
− you or your child have a temperature higher than 38.5°C; however, low-grade fever itself is not a reason not to be vaccinated.
− you are pregnant. In addition, pregnancy should be avoided for 1 month after vaccination.
Warnings and precautions:
In rare circumstances, it is possible to catch chickenpox, including severe chickenpox, from a person who has been vaccinated with VARIVAX or VARILRIX. This may occur in persons who have not previously been vaccinated or had chickenpox, as well as persons who fall into one of the following categories:
− individuals with a weakened immune system.
− pregnant women who have never had chickenpox.
− newborn babies whose mothers have never had chickenpox.
Whenever possible, individuals who have been vaccinated should attempt to avoid close contact, for up to 6 weeks following the vaccination, with anyone who falls into one of the categories above. Tell your doctor if there is anyone who falls into one of the categories above and is expected to be in close contact with the person being vaccinated.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you or your child receive VARIVAX or VARILRIX:
− if you or your child have a weakened immune system (such as HIV infection). You or your hild should be closely monitored as the response to the vaccine may not be sufficient to ensure
protection against the illness
Other medicines (or other vaccines)
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you or your child are taking or have recently taken any other medicines (or other vaccines).
If any type of vaccine is due to be given at the same time, your doctor or health care professional will advise you whether this can be given or not. VARIVAX may be given at the same time as the following routine childhood vaccinations: measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR), vaccines against Haemophilus influenza type b, hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough) and polio vaccine that is given by mouth.
Vaccination should be deferred for at least 5 months after any blood or plasma transfusions, or administration of normal human immune globulin (a sterile solution of naturally produced antibodies taken from donated human blood) or varicella zoster immune globulin (VZIG) have been given.
Following vaccination with VARIVAX or VARILRIX, you or your child should not receive any immune globulin, including VZIG, for 1 month thereafter unless your doctor decides it is necessary.
Vaccine recipients should avoid products that contain aspirin (salicylates) for 6 weeks after vaccination with VARIVAX as this may cause a serious condition called Reye syndrome which can affect all your body organs.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
VARIVAX should not be administered to pregnant women.
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before the vaccination is given. Also, it is important that you do not become pregnant within one month after having the vaccine. During this time you should use an effective method of birth control to avoid pregnancy. Inform your doctor if you are breast-feeding or if you intend to breast-feed. Your doctor will decide if you should receive the vaccine.
3. How to use VARIVAX
VARIVAX or VARILVAX are given by injection as follows:
• Infants from 9 months to 12 months of age:
Under special circumstances (to conform with national vaccination schedules or in outbreaks of chickenpox), they may be administered between 9 and 12 months of age. To ensure optimal protection against chickenpox, two doses of VARIVAX or VARILVAX are needed and should be given at least three months apart.
• Children from 12 months to 12 years of age:
To ensure optimal protection against chickenpox, two doses of VARIVAX or VARILVAX should be given at least one month apart.
• Children from 12 months to 12 years of age with asymptomatic HIV:
VARIVAX or VARILVAX should be given as two doses by injection 12 weeks apart. Please ask your healthcare provider for more information.
• Teenagers 13 years of age and older and adults:
VARIVAX or VARILVAX is given as two doses by injection. The second dose should be given 4 to 8 weeks after the first dose.
The number and timing of doses should be determined by your doctor, using the official recommendations.
VARIVAX or VARILVAX should not be given to children under 9 months of age.
VARIVAX or VARILVAX should be injected into the muscle or under the skin either in the area of the outer thigh or of the upper arm. Usually for injections into the muscle, the thigh area is preferred in young children,
whereas for older individuals, the upper arm area is the preferred injection site.
If you have a blood clotting disorder or low levels of platelets in your blood, the injection will be given under the skin.
Your doctor or health care professional will take care that VARIVAX or VARILVAX is not injected into the bloodstream.
** One voucher is only valid for one dose.
VARIVAX and VARILRIX are vaccines to help protect adults and children against chickenpox (varicella). Vaccines are used to protect you or your child against infectious diseases.
They can be administered to persons 12 months of age or older.
They may also be administered to infants from 9 months of age under special circumstances, such as to conform with national vaccination schedules or in outbreak situations.
It may also be given to persons who have no history of chickenpox, but who have been exposed to someone who has chickenpox.
Vaccination within 3 days of exposure may help prevent chickenpox or reduce the severity of disease, resulting in fewer skin lesions and shorter duration of illness. In addition, there is limited information
that being vaccinated up to 5 days after exposure may reduce disease severity.
As with other vaccines, VARIVAX does not completely protect all individuals from naturally acquired
chickenpox.
2. What you need to know before you or your child receives VARIVAX or VARILRIX
Do not use if:
− you or your child are allergic to any varicella vaccine, to any of the ingredients of this vaccine or neomycin (which may be present as a trace residue).
− you or your child have a blood disorder or any type of malignant cancers including leukaemia and lymphomas that affects the immune system.
− you or your child are receiving immunosuppressive therapy (including high doses of corticosteroids).
− you or your child have any illness (such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)) or take any medicine that weakens the immune system.
Whether you or your child receives the vaccine will depend upon the level of your immune defences.
− you or your child have a family member born with immunodeficiency, or there is a family history of immunodeficiency.
− you or your child have active untreated tuberculosis.
− you or your child have a temperature higher than 38.5°C; however, low-grade fever itself is not a reason not to be vaccinated.
− you are pregnant. In addition, pregnancy should be avoided for 1 month after vaccination.
Warnings and precautions:
In rare circumstances, it is possible to catch chickenpox, including severe chickenpox, from a person who has been vaccinated with VARIVAX or VARILRIX. This may occur in persons who have not previously been vaccinated or had chickenpox, as well as persons who fall into one of the following categories:
− individuals with a weakened immune system.
− pregnant women who have never had chickenpox.
− newborn babies whose mothers have never had chickenpox.
Whenever possible, individuals who have been vaccinated should attempt to avoid close contact, for up to 6 weeks following the vaccination, with anyone who falls into one of the categories above. Tell your doctor if there is anyone who falls into one of the categories above and is expected to be in close contact with the person being vaccinated.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you or your child receive VARIVAX or VARILRIX:
− if you or your child have a weakened immune system (such as HIV infection). You or your hild should be closely monitored as the response to the vaccine may not be sufficient to ensure
protection against the illness
Other medicines (or other vaccines)
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you or your child are taking or have recently taken any other medicines (or other vaccines).
If any type of vaccine is due to be given at the same time, your doctor or health care professional will advise you whether this can be given or not. VARIVAX may be given at the same time as the following routine childhood vaccinations: measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR), vaccines against Haemophilus influenza type b, hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough) and polio vaccine that is given by mouth.
Vaccination should be deferred for at least 5 months after any blood or plasma transfusions, or administration of normal human immune globulin (a sterile solution of naturally produced antibodies taken from donated human blood) or varicella zoster immune globulin (VZIG) have been given.
Following vaccination with VARIVAX or VARILRIX, you or your child should not receive any immune globulin, including VZIG, for 1 month thereafter unless your doctor decides it is necessary.
Vaccine recipients should avoid products that contain aspirin (salicylates) for 6 weeks after vaccination with VARIVAX as this may cause a serious condition called Reye syndrome which can affect all your body organs.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
VARIVAX should not be administered to pregnant women.
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before the vaccination is given. Also, it is important that you do not become pregnant within one month after having the vaccine. During this time you should use an effective method of birth control to avoid pregnancy. Inform your doctor if you are breast-feeding or if you intend to breast-feed. Your doctor will decide if you should receive the vaccine.
3. How to use VARIVAX
VARIVAX or VARILVAX are given by injection as follows:
• Infants from 9 months to 12 months of age:
Under special circumstances (to conform with national vaccination schedules or in outbreaks of chickenpox), they may be administered between 9 and 12 months of age. To ensure optimal protection against chickenpox, two doses of VARIVAX or VARILVAX are needed and should be given at least three months apart.
• Children from 12 months to 12 years of age:
To ensure optimal protection against chickenpox, two doses of VARIVAX or VARILVAX should be given at least one month apart.
• Children from 12 months to 12 years of age with asymptomatic HIV:
VARIVAX or VARILVAX should be given as two doses by injection 12 weeks apart. Please ask your healthcare provider for more information.
• Teenagers 13 years of age and older and adults:
VARIVAX or VARILVAX is given as two doses by injection. The second dose should be given 4 to 8 weeks after the first dose.
The number and timing of doses should be determined by your doctor, using the official recommendations.
VARIVAX or VARILVAX should not be given to children under 9 months of age.
VARIVAX or VARILVAX should be injected into the muscle or under the skin either in the area of the outer thigh or of the upper arm. Usually for injections into the muscle, the thigh area is preferred in young children,
whereas for older individuals, the upper arm area is the preferred injection site.
If you have a blood clotting disorder or low levels of platelets in your blood, the injection will be given under the skin.
Your doctor or health care professional will take care that VARIVAX or VARILVAX is not injected into the bloodstream.
** One voucher is only valid for one dose.