I agree with others who posted.  Of course, this vaccine shouldn't be
given if the mother doesn't need it--about 70% of adults who think they
haven't had chicken pox turn out to be immune, so should have a titer
checked first.  I would think it would be much more dangerous for a baby
to have a mother with a case of chicken pox (as mentioned, a particularly
bad disease for adults) than to be exposed to the vaccine, so if mom's in
a high-risk situation, probably better to vaccinate than not.  There is
also a passive antibody available for immunocompromised folks (including
newborns) who get exposed, called "VZIG" or varicella-zoster immune
globulin.

--
Anne Montgomery, M.D.
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St.Peter Hospital Family Practice Residency
Olympia, WA