Health authorities worldwide agree that the chickenpox vaccine is safe and effective. This contradicts a recent claim by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who said the vaccine is not used in Europe. Kennedy suggested that vaccinating children could cause more shingles cases in adults, but long-term research in the United States does not support this claim.
Kennedy made these remarks during a May 14, 2025 hearing of the House Appropriations Committee. When asked by Congressman Mark Pocan if he would vaccinate his own children against chickenpox, Kennedy avoided a direct answer. He said, “In Europe, they don’t use the chickenpox vaccine because pre-clinical trials show that vaccinating against chickenpox causes more dangerous shingles in older people.”
Kennedy, who has led the Children’s Health Defense for over ten years, is known for questioning vaccine safety. Since becoming HHS Secretary, he has continued to cast doubt on vaccines that have strong safety records.
For example, Kennedy’s response to a measles outbreak in Texas, which resulted in two child deaths, was criticized for downplaying the effectiveness of vaccines. His department also plans to introduce new vaccine testing rules, which experts fear may limit access to existing vaccines and increase costs.
However, an AFP review of vaccine policies across Europe disproves Kennedy’s statement. A 2022 study found that 28 European countries administer the chickenpox vaccine. Sixteen countries use the combined MMRV vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reports that as of May 2025, Hungary, Italy, and Latvia have made the chickenpox vaccine mandatory for young children.
About Chickenpox and Shingles
Chickenpox (varicella) and shingles (herpes zoster) are caused by the same virus, varicella-zoster virus (VZV). The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says anyone who has had chickenpox can develop shingles later in life.
While chickenpox usually lasts four to seven days and mostly affects children, it can cause serious complications, especially in adults and pregnant women.
The United States began routine chickenpox vaccination in 1995, the first country to do so. Today, two chickenpox vaccines are licensed in the U.S.
Dr. José Romero of the American Academy of Pediatrics says the vaccine has dramatically reduced hospitalizations and deaths from chickenpox. The CDC estimates that in 25 years, the vaccine program prevented 91 million chickenpox cases and saved $23.4 billion in healthcare costs. Vaccinated children also have a lower risk of developing shingles than those infected naturally.
Understanding Shingles
Shingles causes a painful rash that heals in two to four weeks but can lead to long-lasting nerve pain called postherpetic neuralgia in 10 to 18 percent of cases.
In the U.S., about one million shingles cases occur annually. The CDC reports the rate among adults rose gradually over many years but has recently leveled off or declined.
Some studies suggested that adults’ exposure to children with chickenpox could boost their immunity against shingles. But recent research in the UK and the U.S. shows this effect is weaker than once thought.
A U.S. study tracking data from 1998 to 2019 found no evidence that the chickenpox vaccine program caused a rise in shingles among adults. Instead, it also reduced shingles in vaccinated children and adolescents.
The UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation referenced this U.S. study when recommending chickenpox vaccination for children in 2023.
Canadian research also found no clear increase in shingles cases after starting chickenpox vaccination programs.
For adults, the U.S. recommends a shingles vaccine after age 50. The first vaccine became available in 2006, and a newer, non-live vaccine was approved in 2017.
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