What you should know about the vaccine. The chicken pox vaccine, also known as Varivax, provides complete protection for 90 percent of the young children who receive it, report the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Who should get vaccinated? Every healthy child, says Levin. Those children who aren't good candidates for the vaccine include those with a compromised immune system from another illness or those who are undergoing medical treatments such as chemotherapy. Pregnant women and those allergic to gelatin or the antibiotic neomycin should also avoid the shot.

When should kids get it? The first vaccine is usually given with the MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine when your child is 15 months old. The second can be given anywhere from three months after that, but Levin says it's not necessary to have it that soon. He recommends getting the second vaccination with your child's second MMR shot at four or five. That way, you're cutting out an extra, unnecessary needle.

How long does the immunity last? "The one thing that we don't know about this vaccine is how long-lasting it is going to be," says Baltimore. But physicians and researchers do know that some children aren't fully immune to the disease until they've had the two shots. According to the CDC, about 10 percent of vaccinated kids still contract the disease. The good news is, they don't get a full blown case of the chicken pox, showing only mild symptoms.

Are there risks to having the vaccine? "This is a very safe vaccine and it has not been associated with particular problems," says Baltimore. Side effects that have been noticed are similar to those associated with any other vaccine - redness, soreness, swelling and small bumps around the injection site.

What about chicken pox parties? We've all heard about chicken pox parties - you know, the kind where you bring your healthy kid to get a disease instead of a loot bag from his friend. Usually, these parties are thrown by parents of a sick child for those unvaccinated kids in the neighborhood. The goal is to expose the unvaccinated child to the disease in hopes that she'll get sick during childhood instead of later in life when the complications are more severe.

According to Levin, these parties are fine to attend, but it's much safer to just have your child vaccinated. "It's fine to have a chicken pox party and the chances are that nobody will suffer, but sooner or later, somebody at that party is going to get complications," he says.