The chickenpox vaccine appears to offer benefits beyond keeping the childhood illness at bay: It may also significantly reduce a child’s risk of shingles, a large study released Monday finds. In the study, published in the journal Pediatrics, researchers reviewed the medical records of more than 6 million children, and found that those who did not get the chickenpox vaccine were over four times more likely to develop shingles before age 17 than those who were vaccinated, NBC News reported. Chickenpox and shingles are caused by the same virus, the varicella zoster virus. After a person is infected with chickenpox, the virus goes into hiding in the body and can reactivate later, causing shingles. While shingles is most commonly seen in people aged 50 and up who had chickenpox as children, it does sometimes occur in children and teens.
Jerika Bolen's story has touched and inspired people around the world.
The 14-year-old from Appleton, Wisconsin suffers from a rare disease, type 2 spinal muscular atrophy, causing her to live in pain every day, NBC affiliate WGBA reports.
"I'm always 8-10 on pain," Jerika explains.
Earlier this summer she made a difficult decision, choosing to go off the ventilator that keeps her alive next month.
"Very tough, because we've talked about it before," says her mother Jen. "I kind of put it off and tried everything else in the meantime."
However, before that day comes, Jerika had one last wish: her own prom.
For more, visit WGBA here.
