Chickenpox

Varicella Zoster (chickenpox) is a common viral infection usually caught in childhood, although it can affect any age.

An itchy spotty rash is the main symptom, and can appear anywhere on the body, including in the mouth and around the genitals, which can be painful. They can spread or stay in the same area, and may be red, pink or darker depending on your skin tone.

These spots then become fluid filled blisters which can be very itchy and may burst.

The spots then form a scab, which may be flaky or leak fluid.

Other symptoms before or after the rash include high temperature, aches and pains and feeling unwell, and loss of appetite.

Chickenpox is very contagious, so you should stay away from school, nursery or work until all the spots have formed scabs. This is usually 5 days after the spots appeared.

You can usually treat chickenpox at home with paracetamol to treat pain and fever (avoid ibuprofen), plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration, antihistamine to treat itch, and cooling creams and gels from the pharmacy.

You should get urgent advice from NHS 111 or nhs.uk if any spot appears infected (red and hot skin around the blisters), or you are concerned about chickenpox in your baby or child, or you are pregnant and have not had chickenpox before or have a weakened immune system and have been around someone with chickenpox.

Chickenpox is easily spread through coughs, sneezing or contact with the infected person. A person if infectious from about 2 days before spots appear until all the spots have formed scabs, usually after 5 days. Symptoms begin 2-3 weeks after becoming infected.

Chickenpox vaccine is available on the NHS to people who risk harming others if they pass the virus on to them, for example household contacts of people who have a weakened immune system.

AR Pharmacy offers Varivax as a private vaccination against chickenpox to patients aged over 12 months.

This is a live vaccine, and contains a small amount of the weakened chickenpox virus, so is not suitable for pregnant or breastfeeding people or anyone with a weakened immune system. It is also not suitable for those who have had another live vaccine in the last 4 weeks (such as MMR) or anyone who has had an allergic reaction to another vaccine.

Vaccination shouldn’t cause too much discomfort, although the injection site may become red and swollen. Some people develop a fever, and paracetamol can be used. Vaccination is usually given in the upper arm or thigh, depending on age.

Rarely, people who have the chickenpox vaccine can transmit the infection to others. If you are very likely to come into contact with pregnant women who have not had chickenpox before or people with a weakened immune system, you should avoid such contact until 6 weeks after the second dose. This is especially important if you develop a rash within 6 weeks of the first or second dose, and contact with vulnerable people should be completely avoided until the rash has gone.

Evidence suggests 9 out of 10 children who have chickenpox vaccine develop immunity, although the efficacy reduces slightly after childhood to about 3 quarters of teenagers and adults developing immunity after vaccination.