Vaccinations have tamed chickenpox, the itchy illness that was once a childhood rite of passage. Not only do the shots save lives and money, they are required for many Maine schoolchildren.

Starting this school year, students in grades two and nine needed to show proof of vaccination against chickenpox, also known as varicella, to be in school. Many districts began strictly enforcing the vaccination deadline this week when students returned from Christmas break. While most families have complied with the new rules, some have not. Nineteen students at Bangor High School were barred from classes this week because they were not vaccinated. Handfuls of students in other districts were also sent home. This is an unfortunate outcome to an easily remedied problem.

In 2003, the Legislature approved a program to immunize all Maine schoolchildren against chickenpox in five years to bring the state in line with much of the rest of the nation. Last year, those entering kindergarten and first grade had to show proof of vaccination or proof of a parental objection to the immunization. This year, the requirement was extended to second and ninth grades. The shots are required within 90 days after the start of the school year, which for most districts was sometime in December. In 2007, proof of vaccination will be needed for all K-12 students.

Today, toddlers are routinely given shots to ward off chickenpox. However, this practice didn’t begin until 1995 so today’s high school students have not been immunized against the illness. For unknown reasons, adolescents are more at risk of severe cases of the illness than younger children.

For most, the illness results in an itchy outbreak and several days of missed school. However, some cases do lead to pneumonia and encephalitis, a dangerous swelling of the brain. Chickenpox can be extremely dangerous to those with compromised immune systems. The disease can be transmitted simply by being in the same room with an infected person. Worse, the disease is most contagious four days before the telltale red marks appear.

In 2003, 81 percent of Maine children aged 19 to 35 months were vaccinated, slightly below the national average of 85 percent. Thirty-five states require vaccination for all schoolchildren.

A recent study, published in Pediatrics magazine, found that such vaccinations saved health care dollars. In 1993, two years before the U.S. government licensed the vaccine for routine use in early childhood, nearly 14,000 Americans were hospitalized each year for chickenpox-related complications at a cost of $161 million. In 2001, the hospitalizations were down to 3,729 with a cost of $66 million, according to the researchers at the University of Michigan.

It saves money, spares your child from an uncomfortable illness and may be required for them to attend school. Make sure they get the shot.