OBJECTIVES:: To characterize the burden of varicella in Latin American and Carribean (LAC) countries. METHODS:: A systematic electronic search was conducted in Embase^® and MEDLINE^® from database inception through January 2016. Ministry of Health websites, PAHO and WHO databases were searched. Publications related to varicella epidemiology (incidence, seroprevalence, complications, mortality, vaccine recommendations utilization) and economic burden (healthcare resource use, direct/indirect costs) in English were reviewed for data extraction. RESULTS:: Universal varicella vaccination (UVV) programs exist in 12/35 countries in LAC covering 54% of the regional population, a fourfold increase from 2011. Argentina, Barbados, Bermuda, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Paraguay have one-dose programmes, and Bahamas, Colombia, Panama, Puerto Rico and Uruguay have two-dose programmes. An additional 8 countries have targeted recommendations for vaccination of special risk groups. The review identified 23 epidemiologic studies covering 8 countries. The most commonly reported outcomes were seroprevalence (12), incidence (7), mortality (5), and complications (4). Annual reported pre-vaccine incidence rates ranged from 140-437 per 100,000 in Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Venezuela. A seasonal pattern of infection was observed with incidence peaking during winter and spring. The highest number of cases were in children <10 years. Seropositivity was present in >80% of 10-14 year olds in Mexico and Bolivia and >95% of >20 year olds in Brazil and Argentina, implying underreporting of incidence. Two studies reported on cost-effectiveness of UVV, seven studies on varicella-related health-care resource utilization, and four on economic burden. CONCLUSIONS:: Although significant data gaps exist, 9 LAC countries have introduced UVV between 2012-2016. With more than 50% of the region’s population living in countries with UVV, improved varicella surveillance is needed to evaluate the impact of the vaccination programmes, monitor for potential shifts in the age-distribution of cases and support evidence-based decision making around UVV in LAC.