Chickenpox
(Varicella)
Medical Author: David Perlstein, MD, FAAP
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
 |
Chickenpox Vaccine for My Child?
Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
 My children were not vaccinated against chickenpox. When they were young, we
were living in Europe, where the medical community does not encourage
immunization against this disease. Consequently, my kids developed chickenpox at
an early age, during one month in which over 30 children in our neighborhood
became infected.
I had, in fact, planned to have the children immunized for chickenpox on our
next visit to the U.S., but the infection came before that happened. My oldest
child, who was 4 at the time, contracted chickenpox from a friend at
preschool. He hardly suffered at all; there were perhaps only 20 or 25 skin
lesions in total. Not so for my youngest two children, then aged 2 and a half and 16
months. Because their exposure came from their older brother at home
("prolonged" exposures in the home can lead to more severe disease than casual
or onetime exposures) they were both covered from head to toe with the itchy
spots. Even the membranes of their mouths and eyes were affected, and they were
listless with fever. While no serious complications developed, they were
decidedly miserable and uncomfortable for days.
Living in Europe and talking with other parents, I encountered a good bit of
skepticism about the chickenpox vaccine in use in the U.S. While hardly anyone
considered the vaccine to be dangerous, most felt it wasn't necessary to
vaccinate a child against what they perceived to be a "harmless" disease that
even "strengthened" their child's immune system.
|
 |
What is chickenpox? What causes chickenpox?
Chickenpox is a common childhood skin disease caused by a virus. The virus is called the
varicella-zoster virus.
Most people contract chickenpox by age 15, the majority between ages 5 and 9, but all ages can contract it. Chickenpox is usually more severe in adults and very young infants than children. Winter and spring are the most common times of the year for chickenpox to occur.
How does chickenpox spread?
Chickenpox is very highly contagious. It is easily passed between
members of families and school classmates through airborne particles,
droplets in exhaled air and fluid from the blisters or sores. It also can be transmitted indirectly by contact with articles of clothing
and other items exposed to fresh drainage from open sores. Patients
are contagious up to five days (more commonly, one to two days) before and five
days after the date that their rash appears. When the sores have crusted
over, the person is usually no longer contagious.
What are the signs and symptoms of chickenpox?
Symptoms tend to appear 14 to 16 days after the initial exposure but
can occur any time from 10 days up to 21 days after contact with the virus.
Chickenpox is characterized by one to two days of mild fever up to 102
degrees F, general weakness, and a rash, often the first sign of the
disease. Rarely, a person may have the disease without the
rash. The rash of chickenpox develops in crops with raised red spots
arriving first, progressing to blisters that burst, creating open
sores, before crusting over. This process usually starts on the
scalp, then the trunk (its area of greatest concentration), and
finally the arms and legs. Any area of skin that is irritated (by
diaper rash, poison ivy, eczema, sunburn, etc.) is likely to be hard
hit by the rash. The rash is typically very itchy (pruritic).
 |
| What does chickenpox look like? |
Next: What are the treatments for chickenpox? »
- acyclovir, Zovirax - Explains the medication acyclovir (Zovirax), a drug used to treat initial genital herpes infections and to treat patients with recurrent severe genital herpes.
- Childhood Vaccination Schedule - Read our printable children's immunization schedule and learn about vaccines for kids (Hib, polio, DTaP, MMR, HPV, flu, chickenpox, meningitis, rotavirus, pneumonia, hepatitis A and B).
- Shingles - Read about shingles symptoms (contagious rash), vaccine, causes (chickenpox [varicella] virus, stress), treatment, how it's transmitted and postherpetic neuralgia.
Latest Medical News
|
|
 |
From WebMD
Featured Centers
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
Chickenpox (Varicella)
Pregnancy Planning »
What is pregnancy planning and why is it important?
Having a baby is one of the most important events in a woman's life. Women considering
pregnancy are encouraged to start planning for the pregnancy with their doctors early. This early planning process is called pregnancy planning. The goals of pregnancy planning are to create a healthy environment for the fetus and to prevent birth defects and other pregnancy related problems to the greatest extent possible. The issues addressed during pregnancy planning include
nutrition,
vitamins, body weight, exercise, avoidance of certain medications and alcohol,
immunizations, and genetic counseling. Even though many women will have normal pregnancies without any planning, pregnancy planning improves the chances of a smooth pregnancy and a healthy baby. Unfortunately, over 40% of pregnancies in the United States are unplanned, and many more women who are anticipating conceiving do not seek prior medical consultation. Public ...
Read the Pregnancy Planning article »
|
Infectious Disease RSS