Thanks to a vaccine introduced in 1995, chickenpox among adults is rare. Only one in 10,000 American men and women are diagnosed each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "However, it needs to be taken seriously since adults are at increased risk of complications including pneumonia, brain inflammation, and bacterial skin infections," said ABC News' chief health and medical editor Dr. Richard Besser. If you think you never had chicken pox, regardless of your age, see your doctor to talk about whether you should get vaccinated. Just like kids with chicken pox, adults are contagious for several days until the rash has scabbed over, according to Besser. And anyone who has had chicken pox is at risk for shingles, a painful skin rash caused by the same virus. "Shingles occurs when the virus, lying dormant in your nerve roots, reactivates," said Besser, adding that a shingles vaccine is available and recommended for all adults aged 60 and older. The vaccine will cut in half your chances of getting shingles.