Varilrix Vaccine Administration Guidelines

Introduction to Varilrix Administration

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that Varilrix should be administered as a 0.5 mL dose given subcutaneously, with children 12 months through 12 years receiving two doses separated by at least 3 months, and persons ≥13 years receiving two doses separated by at least 4 weeks 1, 2, 3

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that each dose of Varilrix is 0.5 mL administered subcutaneously 1, 2, 3
The subcutaneous route is the recommended and approved administration method for all varicella vaccines, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1, 2

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children 12 months through 12 years receive two doses of Varilrix, with the first dose administered at 12-15 months of age and the second dose administered at 4-6 years of age, with a minimum interval of 3 months between doses 1, 2, 3
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that adolescents and adults ≥13 years receive two 0.5 mL doses of Varilrix separated by a minimum of 4 weeks (28 days) 1, 2, 3

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that Varilrix must be stored frozen at -15°C (5°F) or colder, and the diluent should be stored separately at room temperature or refrigerated 2
The vaccine must be used within 30 minutes after reconstitution, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics 2

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that two doses of Varilrix provide 98.3% vaccine efficacy compared to 94.4% for a single dose, with recipients of two doses being 3.3-fold less likely to experience breakthrough varicella 4, 3
After two doses, >99% of children achieve protective antibody levels, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1, 4, 3

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children entering school must have received two doses of Varilrix or have other evidence of immunity due to high transmission risk in school settings 1, 4, 3
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that healthcare personnel, college students, and other high-risk adults without evidence of immunity require priority two-dose vaccination 3
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that Varilrix can be safely administered concomitantly with other routine childhood vaccines without compromising immunogenicity 5