The answer is important. If you didn't as a child, you're at greater risk of a more virulent adult form of the disease that can lead to hepatitis, pneumonia, or heart failure, warns Dragan Djordjevic, MD, a Chicago-based physician at MDVIP, a national concierge health care company. If you did, you're more likely to suffer an outbreak of shingles later in life, a painful illness also caused by varicella zoster, the virus that causes chickenpox. Fortunately, both the common chickenpox vaccine and another one, Zostavax, can protect you against all conditions caused by the virus. Which one you should receive depends on your age and whether you carry antibodies: Get a simple blood test to find out which vaccine is right for you.
TEST RESULTS: Younger than 60
HAVE ANTIBODIES No vaccine needed
DON'T HAVE ANTIBODIES Need chickenpox vaccine
TEST RESULTS: Older than 60
HAVE ANTIBODIES Need Zostavax vaccine
DON'T HAVE ANTIBODIES Rare; ask your doc about the vaccines