CHICKENPOX

Chickenpox is a disease that causes a fever and an itchy rash of blisters – sometimes as many as 500 all over the body. Chickenpox can be serious and even life-threatening, especially in babies, adults, and people with weakened immune systems. Even healthy children can get really sick. Vaccinating kids at an early age is especially important to keep your children healthy.

HOW IS CHICKENPOX SPREAD?

Chickenpox spreads easily from people with chickenpox to others who have never had the disease or never been vaccinated. Chickenpox can also spread from people with shingles. The disease spreads mainly through close contact with someone who has chickenpox or shingles. It can spread when a person touches or breathes in the virus particles that come from the blisters when they get scratched.

Chickenpox can spread 1 to 2 days before the infected person gets a rash, and then doesn’t stop spreading until all the blisters have formed scabs. Vaccinated people who get chickenpox may develop lesions that do not form scabs. These people are considered contagious until no new lesions have appeared for 24 hours.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

• Itchy rash of blisters
• Fever
• Headache
• Fatigue

Symptoms usually last about a week. In some cases, chickenpox can cause serious problems.

Some people who have been vaccinated against chickenpox can still get the disease, called breakthrough chickenpox. However, they usually have milder symptoms with fewer or no blisters (or just red spots), a mild or no fever, and are sick for a shorter period of time than people who are not vaccinated.

WHEN IS THE VACCINE GIVEN?

One dose at each of the following ages:

• 1st dose at 12-15 months
• 2nd dose at 4-6 years

Older children or adolescents should also get two doses of the chickenpox vaccine if they have never had chickenpox or were never vaccinated. They should also get a second shot if they have had only one chickenpox shot.

IS CHICKENPOX SERIOUS?

Chickenpox is usually mild in children, but the itching can be very uncomfortable. Children who get chickenpox can miss about a week of school or child care. In some cases, chickenpox can cause serious problems, such as:

• Skin infections
• Dehydration (loss of body fluids)
• Pneumonia (an infection in the lungs)
• Encephalitis (swelling of the brain)
• Rarely, chickenpox may lead to death

DID YOU KNOW? Chickenpox has been around for centuries, and there are a number of theories as to how it got its name. One is that it’s because the blisters look like chickpeas. Another theory is that the rash of chickenpox looks like the peck marks caused by a chicken.