State to require chickenpox vaccine

SEATTLE – Washington will become one of the last states in the country to require vaccination of schoolchildren for chickenpox, the state Health Board has decided.

The panel voted unanimously this week to require that children 19 months to 12 years old submit proof of immunization against chickenpox before being allowed to attend day care or public school.

The requirement takes effect next July 1 and does not apply to children who have had chickenpox because they already are immune, officials said.

As with other state-mandated immunizations, parents may decide not to have their children vaccinated based on philosophical, medical or religious objections.

Every state except Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Arizona has a similar requirement, and provisions to impose the restriction are pending in Arizona.