Medical authorities around the world affirm the safety and effectiveness of the chickenpox vaccine, despite recent claims by US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that the vaccine is not used in Europe. Kennedy suggested during a May 14, 2025 House Appropriations Committee hearing that vaccinating children against chickenpox could lead to a significant increase in shingles cases among adults, a concern that long-term research in the United States has not supported.
When Democratic Congressman Mark Pocan asked Kennedy whether he would vaccinate his own children against chickenpox, the secretary avoided a direct answer. Instead, he stated, “In Europe, they don’t use the chickenpox vaccine, specifically because the pre-clinical trial shows that when you inoculate the population for chickenpox, you get shingles in older people, which is more dangerous.” Kennedy’s comments reflect his longstanding skepticism toward vaccines, which he has expressed throughout his tenure as chairman of Children’s Health Defense, an organization frequently fact-checked for spreading vaccine misinformation. Since assuming leadership at HHS, Kennedy has continued to send mixed messages about vaccines with well-established safety records.
His response to a measles outbreak in Texas, which resulted in two children’s deaths, drew criticism for downplaying the effectiveness of measles vaccines. Meanwhile, his agency’s proposal to impose new testing requirements for all vaccines has raised concerns among experts that such measures could delay and increase the cost of updating existing vaccines.
A review by AFP of vaccine policies across Europe reveals that Kennedy’s assertions about chickenpox vaccination and shingles risk are inaccurate. A 2022 study showed that 28 European countries administer the chickenpox vaccine, with 16 of those using the combined MMRV vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox. Furthermore, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control confirmed that as of May 2025, Hungary, Italy, and Latvia mandate the chickenpox vaccine for young children.
Chickenpox, caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), commonly affects children and typically resolves within a week. However, it can lead to severe complications and poses greater risks to adults and pregnant individuals, for whom the virus may harm the fetus. The United States was the first country to introduce a routine childhood chickenpox vaccination program in 1995, and as of 2025, two vaccines against chickenpox are licensed there. This program has dramatically reduced hospitalizations and deaths linked to chickenpox, according to José Romero of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases.
The CDC estimates that the vaccination program has prevented 91 million chickenpox cases and saved $23.4 billion in healthcare costs over its first 25 years. It also notes that vaccinated children have a lower risk of developing herpes zoster (shingles) compared to those infected with wild-type VZV.
Shingles, also caused by VZV, typically produces a painful rash that can take weeks to heal, with some individuals experiencing long-term nerve pain known as postherpetic neuralgia. About one million cases occur annually in the US. The CDC reports a gradual increase in shingles rates among adults over a long period, followed by a recent plateau or decline. Some earlier theories suggested that adults’ exposure to children with chickenpox might boost immunity and protect against shingles. However, a UK study found this protective effect may not be as strong as once believed.
US researchers tracked the impact of the chickenpox vaccination program from 1998 to 2019 and concluded that fears of increased shingles incidence in adults were not supported by real-world data. Their findings also showed that the vaccination program lowered herpes zoster cases among children and adolescents vaccinated during the program era.
When the UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommended adding the chickenpox vaccine to the childhood immunization schedule in 2023, it cited this US research as evidence easing concerns about shingles risks in older adults who had previously contracted varicella.
Canadian researcher Ellen Rafferty also told the BBC in 2024 that her modeling study found no conclusive evidence of a shingles surge following the introduction of a chickenpox vaccine program.
For adults concerned about shingles, the US recommends vaccination for those over 50. The first shingles vaccine became available in 2006, and a newer, non-live-virus vaccine received approval in 2017, further expanding prevention options.
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