Chickenpox is not just an itchy, contagious rash. Chickenpox can cause serious problems, even death. Nearly four million people in the United States, mostly children, get chickenpox each year. About 9,300 people are hospitalized (80 percent are children and adolescents) for medical complications resulting from chickenpox every year and about a hundred people die. The most commonly serious problem seen in children with chickenpox is skin infection, which may result in scars. In some children with chickenpox, blisters can be infected with certain kinds of germs that can quickly cause shock, organ failure and “flesh-eating disease” (necrotizing fascitis). Other serious problems that chickenpox can cause in children include swelling of the brain, loss of muscle coordination, pneumonia, ear infections and Reye's syndrome ( a rare disease that has been associated with aspirin use during chickenpox infection). Complications of chickenpox also include the lost time from work and school and the possible cost of sick child visits to the doctor, medications and hospitalization. Chickenpox needs to be treated as a serious disease.

Chickenpox is an acute, highly contagious viral disease caused by the varicella zoster virus. Chicenpox can occur at any time throughout the year but it's peak times are during winter and early spring, especially in moderate climates. Chickenpox is spread by direct contact with an infected person, usually through fluid from broken blisters, or through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Chickenpox can spread even before infected people know they have chickenpox or before the rash develops. A person with chickenpox is contagious and can infect others for about two days before the rash appears and until all the pox have crusted over. It has been proven the secondary, or “pass along” cases, of chickenpox can be more severe than the infection that occurs in the first person.

It usually takes about two to three weeks before symptoms start once a person has been infected. The time period between catching the infection and feeling sick is called the “incubation period”. At the end of the incubation period, which can last anywhere from one to three weeks, an infected person may feel achy and feverish, may not want to eat and, in general, seem as if he or she is “coming down with something”. Next comes the rash that usually starts as little red spots or as a rash on the chest, stomach, or back, and then on the face, arms, and legs. The rash may consist of only a few spots or it may develop into hundreds of spots over the next three to five days. The spots will change into clear blisters filled with fluid. These blisters become cloudy, can break open, and form a crust or a scab. These scabs can be very itchy and many lead to permanent scarring. The rash can be spread to the scalp or even inside the mouth or other body openings, which van be very uncomfortable.

The infected person will start to feel better after about three to five days. However, if the fever returns or if the fever rises rapidly and/or a cough develops, complications may be starting. It is important to contact your health care professional if these symptoms persist.

The course of chickenpox will vary with each infected person. A person is generally sick with chickenpox for about four to seven days. New blisters usually stop appearing by the fifth day, most are crusted by the sixth day and most scabs are gone within twenty days after the rash begins. If complications set in, however, the recovery period may be longer.

Fortunately, there is now a vaccine to protect anyone who has not already had this disease. In the early 1970's a vaccine for chickenpox was developed in Japan. More than two million doses of that vaccine have been given in Japan and Korea. Since the early 1980's, a similar vaccine against chickenpox, has been tested in the United States in over 9,400 healthy children and over 1600 adults. These tests have shown this vaccine to be safe and effective. Adverse reactions from the chickenpox vaccine generally are mild. The chickenpox vaccine is 70- 90 percent effective in preventing chickenpox. If vaccinated people do get chickenpox, they usually have a much milder form of the disease. They have fewer skin lesions, a lower fever, and recover more quickly. In fact, the disease may be so mild that the skin lesions look like insect bites. Even so, vaccinated children with a mild cas of the chickenpox can still infect others at risk of getting chickenpox. Currently, a booster for the chickenpox vaccine is not recommended. Studies are underway to determine how long protection from the vaccine lasts and whether the person will need a booster in the future.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the chickenpox vaccine for all children between 12 and 18 months old who do not have a history of chickenpox. Older children should be immunized at the earliest opportunity. Anyone over the age of 13 will need two doses of the vaccine four to eight weeks apart. The Fayette County Health Department can administer the chickenpox vaccine to anyone age one year to 13 years of age. The cost of the vaccine is $10. If you would like an appointment, call the health department at 770-461-1178, ext.416.

If you have any questions or would like more information about chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine ask your health care worker or call the Fayette County health Department. Chickenpox can be serious - please treat it that way.

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