Chickenpox

Chickenpox is the common name for Varicella zoster and it is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). Chickenpox has a 10-14 day incubation period and is highly contagious through physical contact two days before symptoms appear. Following primary infection there is usually lifelong protective immunity from further episodes of chickenpox. Recurrent chickenpox, commonly known as shingles, is fairly rare but more likely in people with compromised immune systems.

Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease that spreads from person to person by direct contact or through the air from an infected person's coughing or sneezing. Touching the fluid from a chickenpox blister can also spread the disease. A person with chickenpox is contagious from 1-2 days before the rash appears until all blisters have formed scabs. This may take 5-10 days. It takes from 10-21 days after contact with an infected person for someone to develop chickenpox.

The chickenpox lesions (blisters) start as a 2–4 mm red papule which develops an irregular outline (rose petal). A thin-walled, clear vesicle (dew drop) develops on top of the area of redness. This "dew drop on a rose petal" lesion is very characteristic for chickenpox. After about 8–12 hours the fluid in the vesicle gets cloudy and the vesicle breaks leaving a crust. The fluid is highly contagious, but once the lesion crusts over, it is not considered contagious. The crust usually falls off after 7 days sometimes leaving a crater-like scar. Although one lesion goes through this complete cycle in about 7 days, another hallmark of chickenpox is the fact that new lesions crop up every day for several days. Therefore, it may take about a week until new lesions stop appearing and existing lesions crust over. Children are not to be sent back to school until all lesions have crusted over.

It is not necessary to have physical contact with the infected person for the disease to spread. Those infected can spread chickenpox before they know they have the disease - even before any rash develops. In fact, people with chickenpox can infect others from about 2 days before the rash develops until all the sores have crusted over, usually 4-5 days after the rash starts.Adapted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chickenpox

Why Mummy bringing out the issue of Chicken Pox?

On Monday 17 September 2007 during lunch time, Mummy got sms from KongKong that KongKong and PohPoh suspected that JL got Chickenpox. Mummy was shocked because JL was vaccinated for Chicken Pox. At 5.30pm, KongKong came and fetch Mummy to go home to take JL’s Dr’s Card because PaPa was having night class. JL was still happy and no symptom of fever. He had quite little pox.

After waiting almost 1 hour, finally we went into the Dr’s room. Dr also didn’t even know he got chickenpox but greeting JL “ Wow, so big boy already”.

Then Dr said that the vaccine has been shown to be 80% effective in preventing chickenpox not 100%. So once JL got this minor chickenpox, he would be 100%. The vaccine was not a waste because it helped to suppress the chickenpox symptoms which meant JL would have less pox, no high fever and recovery period would be much faster than normal.

Usually, Dr would give anti viral medication (cost RM100-RM2XX) especially to those who never being vaccinated. Mummy and Dr were discussing whether we should get the viral medication or not because we were supposed to travel that weekend. Dr didn’t want Mummy to waste money. At last the decision was to come back and get the viral medication the following day if JL’s chickenpox amounts doubled.

At last we didn’t need to spend extra money on anti viral. JL was given only anti itch medication plus calamine lotion. By Wednesday 19 September 2007, JL’s chickenpox began to dry up. JL only had minor fever for 2 nights which were about 37 C and took paracetamol only once for each night. In total, JL only took paracetamol twice throughout the whole treatment.
Yesterday, we decided to keep him home just in case even though he was fully recovered and all the crusts had fallen off. So actually JL didn’t purposely miss kindy for the trip but he was technically on MC…

So, today JL is back to kindy about 1 week MC.

--This is the 1st Happening --