Dozens of students and staff at a Washington school are advised to stay away from the facility while there is an ongoing chickenpox outbreak.
What are some important things to know about chickenpox and the chickenpox vaccination?
Chickenpox Outbreak
At a southwestern Washington elementary school, dozens of students and staff were notified to steer clear of the school facilities for several weeks because of a chickenpox outbreak. The Clark County Public Health says that it is specifically school staff as well as children without vaccination or immunity against chickenpox that must stay home for about three weeks starting on Monday. This is according to a letter that was sent to the parents just last Thursday.
So far, there are five individuals confirmed to have chickenpox, and 38 students are expected to be pulled out of school due to the illness outbreak. However, those who are able to get vaccinated before the three-week period may return to the school upon presentation of proof of immunity.
Chickenpox Is Very Contagious
Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, and is characterized by fever, tiredness, itching, and blister-like rashes. Its signature rashes often begins in the stomach, the back, and the face, and can then spread to other body parts, leaving the patient with about 250 to 500 itchy blisters.
It is a very contagious disease that can easily be spread from the patient to anyone who hasn’t had it yet, or to anyone who is unvaccinated. In fact, a person may spread the illness from up to one or two days before the rashes even begin, and until all of it is gone or have formed scabs.
The transmission often occurs through droplets when the infected person talks, and simply through touching of breathing in the virus from the blisters. After the exposure, it takes up to two weeks before a person develops chickenpox.
It’s worth noting that even those who are vaccinated may still spread the disease to others or may still catch the disease, but with much milder symptoms.
Immunity
For most people, getting chickenpox once provides the immunity they need for their entire life. This means that a person who has already had chickenpox in the past are unlikely to get it again. However, some people may still get chickenpox even after they’ve already had it, although this is a much less common occurrence.
That said, chickenpox may be severe or even life-threatening, particularly among infants, adolescents, some adults, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems. In fact, in 2012, a 4-year-old girl with leukemia died from chickenpox because of her compromised immune system.
As such, it is important for children and adults to get vaccinated against chickenpox, so as to prevent or even slow the spread of disease to members of the community, especially the more vulnerable ones.
