Baird has their backing. He knows, however, that others will oppose the initiative, just as any such changes are contested. Dr. William Becker, medical director for the department's Bureau of Public Health Laboratories, said some parents accuse the department of recording every infant's genetic information for future use. The department will hear more complaints if a bill pending in the General Assembly is passed. Legislators soon will debate whether to require every child to receive a chickenpox vaccination before starting school.
Many parents hope their youngsters run into an infected child just to get it over with.
But like any disease, chickenpox can be serious. As many as 9,000 children are hospitalized each year nationwide from chickenpox complications, and about 100 die. In 1995, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a vaccine called Varivax. In May, with about 10 years' worth of data on U.S. children, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that states require chickenpox vaccinations for children entering day care or elementary school. About 18 states have such mandates.