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SOME 63 percent of vaccinations carried out during 2005 in the Balearics by the Spanish Pediatric Association were on children under 2 years old, according to a study published today by this Association. The study says that some 24 percent of their vaccinations in the Balearics were given to children between the ages of 2 and 6 years, while 13 percent were to children more than 6 years old. Chickenpox is a contagious disease which is very common among the population, especially in children, and although in the majority of cases it is benign, it can have complications and can even lead to death, according to Professor Alfonso Delgado, who said that in the Balearics there have been 27'524 cases between 2000 and 2004. The official vaccination programme in the Balearics does not include immunisation against chickenpox, according to Delgado, who explained that the Association, through its Vaccination Assessment Committee, has for six years been recommending vaccination against chickenpox for children from one year old. “In countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia or Germany they have been vaccinating children of that age for years and the results are excellent”, he commented.