adults getting chicken pox vaccine :: Article Creator9 Things Every Parent Needs To Know About Chickenpox
Catching chickenpox is something of a rite of passage for kids and most UK children will have caught it by the time they reach the age of 10.
In most cases this highly contagious disease is mild, but for some people it can cause unpleasant complications.
Keep scrolling to find out the most common symptoms, who can catch it and whether you can travel or go to work when you have it.
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What are the symptoms of chickenpox?
A high temperature, typically for a couple of days Aches and pains Generally feeling unwell Loss of appetite Spots, around 24 hours after the onset of fever. Symptoms appear 10-21 days after being exposed to someone else with the disease and will get better by themselves after 1-2 weeks, in most cases without seeing a doctor.
Although it's considered to be a 'childhood illness', adults can still get it if they haven't had it before and symptoms tend to be more severe.
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What are the 3 stages of chickenpox?
The 'stages' refer to the three phases of spots/rash. Some people only have a few spots whereas others may find they cover the whole body. In some cases it's even possible to have had it without having had any symptoms at all.
Stage 1: This is when small, flat or slightly raised spots appear, generally on the face and scalp. The spots are pink, red or may be the same colour as surrounding skin. If you have brown or black skin it may be harder to see the spots.
Stage 2: This stage happens when the spots often spread to other parts of the body including chest, stomach, arms, legs and underarms, filling with fluid and turning into blisters, which are very itchy and may even burst. It is important to stop children from scratching these because they occasionally become infected with bacteria from the skin and can end up needing antibiotics.
Stage 3: The blisters crust over to become scabs, some of which are flaky while others leak fluid. This stage usually happens around five days after the first spots have appeared.
Is your child's rash chickenpox or could it be something else? Take a look at pictures of childhood rashes to help you decide
What is the best treatment for chickenpox?
Take paracetamol to help with pain. Unless advised by a doctor, do not use ibuprofen as this may cause serious skin infections. Drink plenty of fluids. Try ice lollies if your little one isn't drinking. Soothe the itch. Cooling creams and gels are available from the pharmacy, as well as calamine lotion. Your pharmacist can also advise on whether antihistamines may be appropriate. Bathing in oatmeal. Research shows that a bath with colloidal (finely milled) oatmeal may also help to soothe the itch. After bathing, pat the skin dry rather than rubbing it. Remove the temptation to scratch. Cutting your child's fingernails and putting mittens or socks on their hands at night may help them to stop scratching. Scratching can lead to scarring as well as skin infections so should be discouraged. The only thing you can do is treat the symptoms - as chickenpox is caused by a virus (the varicella-zoster virus) antibiotics won't help, except in rare cases where the spots become infected, for example if they are scratched.
Bacteria that's normally on the skin, such as Strep A, may get through the chickenpox spots and into the blood where they can. In severe cases, this can cause serious conditions such as sepsis, although this is rare.
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How long is chickenpox contagious for?
Someone with chickenpox starts being contagious from one or two days before their rash appears and continues until the spots have crusted over to form scabs around five days after - so all in all, around seven days.
Chickenpox is caught by being in contact with the blisters and very occasionally through contact with objects such as bedding, clothing and toys.
The Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford says: 'If someone with chickenpox comes into contact with people who have not had the disease, about nine out of 10 of them will catch chickenpox.'
It's so easy to spread (and easy to catch), so anyone who knows they have it should stay away from public places until they can be sure they're no longer contagious and away from people who could be harmed by catching it.
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Can you get chickenpox twice?
You can get chickenpox twice but it's unusual.
However, what can happen is that the chickenpox virus, which lies dormant in your nerve roots once you've had it, gets reactivated years later, leading to shingles (zoster).
Shingles generally starts as a headache and a tingling or painful feeling on the skin before progressing to a painful rash of chickenpox-like spots in a line along just one side of the body, usually on your chest or stomach.
You can't spread shingles to other people but if you encounter someone who hasn't had chickenpox before, they could catch chickenpox from your shingles.
If you're over 70 and concerned about getting shingles, you can get a vaccine to reduce the risk of catching it and making the symptoms milder if you do.
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Is there a vaccine for chickenpox?
Yes there is a chickenpox vaccine, but the 'varicella vaccine' is currently only recommended for those at risk of complications from the virus, or those in regular or close contact with someone who would be vulnerable if they caught chickenpox.
The government's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has discussed whether to recommend adding the vaccine to the childhood vaccination schedule to protect the vulnerable.
However, in its last review it concluded that it wouldn't be cost-effective because it could end up reducing adult exposure to the chickenpox virus through their lifetime so that in older age they'd be more likely to suffer from shingles - a costly and difficult condition to treat.
Also, the vaccine doesn't guarantee lifetime immunity from chickenpox although if you have it after vaccination you'll generally have milder symptoms.
Speak to your doctor about eligibility, or you can pay to have the vaccine privately. For example, Boots offers the service for those aged 1-65 at some of its stores at a cost of £140 for the two doses needed.
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Can I go to work and visit family or friends if my child has chickenpox?
If your child or children have chickenpox, you'll need to keep them away from school or nursery (or, in the case of adults, work) until all the spots have formed a scab, which is usually five days after the spots have appeared.
If you're a healthy adult and have had chickenpox, you are fine to go to work, out to the shops or to visit other people, even if you are looking after someone who has chickenpox, but make sure you keep good hygiene such as washing your hands.
If you haven't had chickenpox or can't be certain that you have, with such a high infection rate (90%) you should assume that you, too, will catch it and will need to follow the same rules as children in terms of how long you'll be infectious and the need to isolate.
There are certain people who are greater risk of complications if they catch the chickenpox virus so it's best to avoid contact entirely:
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Can you fly with chickenpox?
In general, yes, but the rules vary from one airline to another so you should check with the specific one you're travelling with.
Listed here are the current chickenpox policies* of some passenger airlines flying out of the UK but always check because rules may change.
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Why is chickenpox more common in Spring?
Chickenpox is a seasonal disease, with most cases occurring in winter and spring, and there is often a peak between March and May.
The reasons infections can be seasonal is complex and experts say a whole host of factors could be involved including the weather and how that impacts human behaviour (for example, whether we are spending more time indoors because it's cold or outside because it's warmer).
There's also research being done into whether our immunity to infection changes depending on the time of year and if this is to do with our internal body clock.
However, it's still possible to catch a disease like chickenpox outside of peak times so if you spot symptoms 'out of season' don't assume it's something else.
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Adults 60+ Will Have 3 RSV Vaccines To Choose From This Year
Fact checked by Nick BlackmerFact checked by Nick Blackmer
Key Takeaways
The FDA recently approved mRESVIA, the first mRNA vaccine for RSV, for adults aged 60 and older.
The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet in late June to discuss recommendations for rolling out the vaccine.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved mRESVIA, a new vaccine made by Moderna, to help protect adults aged 60 and older from respiratory tract infections caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
RSV is a virus that most commonly occurs in the fall and can affect anyone. But it can be most dangerous in very young children and older adults, Robert Hopkins, MD, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, told Verywell.
Two other RSV vaccines, Arexvy from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Abrysvo from Pfizer, received FDA approvals last year. MRESVIA is the first of the RSV shots to use mRNA, the same vaccine technology used in COVID vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer.
The FDA approved mRESVIA based on data from a clinical trial that included more than 35,000 adults aged 60 years or older in 22 different countries. The trial showed that the vaccine was close to 84% effective in preventing lower respiratory tract disease caused by RSV, which is on par with both of the existing RSV vaccines.
Related: Half of Americans Who Need an RSV Vaccine Have Never Heard of It, Survey Finds
Mild Side Effects So Far
The mRESVIA clinical trial showed any reactions to the vaccine were mild to moderate, including injection site pain and fatigue. Importantly, none of the participants experienced Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a rare neurological disorder reported in a small number of recipients of both Pfizer and GSK's RSV vaccines. That specific side effect prompted the CDC last year to recommend that older adults talk to their doctors about getting the vaccine rather than just outright recommending it—a process referred to as "shared decision-making."
More time and more shots administered are needed to really know how long protection lasts and whether GBS is truly a problem with any of the vaccines, said Hopkins.
"We have a much better idea of any possible side effects once a drug or vaccine is used in the wider population, which can be millions of people, rather than the thousands in a clinical trial," he said.
Related: What Are the Side Effects of the New RSV Vaccines?
When Will Moderna's RSV Vaccine Be Available?
The next step for mRESVIA is a review by the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which will meet at the end of June. ACIP recommended the other two RSV vaccines last year.
A recommendation from ACIP means that insurers will cover the vaccine.
William Schaffner, MD, an infectious disease expert at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, thinks it's likely that ACIP will continue its shared decision-making recommendation for mRESVIA as well.
Regardless of which RSV vaccine you pursue, it's important to talk to your doctor about it "before heading to a clinic or pharmacy to get the shot," Aaron Glatt, MD, chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau Medical Center in New York and a spokesperson for the Infectious Diseases Society of America, told Verywell.
Anyone over 60 should bring up the RSV vaccine with their doctor, but this is especially true "if you are 60 and older and have lung health conditions, or you are in your mid-70s, when RSV can be more likely to pose a threat," Glatt added.
The conversation with your doctor should include whether the vaccine is appropriate for you, and if so, which one to get and when to have it.
If you received an RSV vaccination last year, there is no recommendation currently for another dose.
What This Means For You
If you are 60 or older, haven't received and RSV vaccine before, and don't have a scheduled visit with your doctor this summer, consider making an appointment soon. That's because if you and your doctor agree that an RSV vaccine is right for you, you may want to get it by mid to late August. That way, you can have some time between shots before it's time to get your fall flu shot and an updated COVID-19 vaccine, which is expected to be recommended for older adults by the CDC for the fall.
Read the original article on Verywell Health.
More Than 90% Of Chickenpox Cases In New York City Outbreak Among Unvaccinated People
Nearly all the patients affected by an ongoing chickenpox outbreak in New York City are unvaccinated, according to a report published Thursday.
The outbreak was first identified by city health officials in October 2022 and was found to be among people who recently migrated from or through central and South America and lived in a shelter or residential facility.
The report, co-authored by several New York City agencies and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, looked at patient interviews and reviews of medical records conducted by the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH).
MORE: Why this state is lagging behind the rest of the US in routine childhood vaccinations
Between September 2022 and March 2024, 873 people who tested positive for chickenpox were linked to the outbreak, according to the report.
Of the patients, 91.9% had no documentation of receiving a chickenpox vaccine prior to the beginning of symptoms. Data showed 6.8% received at least one dose and just 1.4% had received two doses.
Chickenpox vaccine doses among patients in New York City outbreak
ABC News Photo Illustration
There are two chickenpox vaccines licensed in the United States. The first contains only the chickenpox vaccine and can be given to children in two doses: the first at 12 to 15 months old and the second at 4 to 6 years old.
The second contains a combination of the chickenpox vaccine and the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and is authorized for children between 12 months and 12 years old.
Studies have shown the vaccine that protects just against chickenpox is 82% effective against any form after one dose and 92% effective after two doses, according to the CDC. Receiving one or two doses is 100% effective against severe chickenpox.
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The chickenpox vaccination program in the U.S. Began in 1995 and was a major success, reducing overall annual cases by 97%, the CDC said.
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The report also provided breakdowns by age and sources of transmission. The majority of cases -- 53% -- were among people between ages 4 and 18. Adults above age 18 made up 29.4% of cases and children under age 4 made up 17.5% of cases.
Among the 780 patients who knew where they had contracted the disease, 41.3% were exposed at shelters or residential facilities while 39.4% of cases were imported, meaning the incubation period occurred before arriving in New York City. School transmission accounted for just 1.2% of cases.
According to the report, many recent migrants come from countries that don't have routine chickenpox vaccination programs or have high incidence of chickenpox. Of the countries that do include chickenpox vaccination as part of routine immunizations, programs may have been disrupted due to COVID-19 or political instability.
"This outbreak highlights the importance of limiting transmission by achieving and sustaining high [chickenpox] vaccination coverage and the need for rapid, large-scale vaccination efforts in light of ongoing importations and exposures in U.S. Shelters and residential facilities," the report's authors wrote.
Some people may experience complications from chickenpox and require hospitalization, but hospitalizations and deaths from chickenpox are rare in the present day due to the U.S. Vaccination program, according to the CDC.
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