Chickenpox Outbreak

by Mobile County Health Department

Published: Wed, January 30, 2008 - 3:42 pm CST Last Updated: Wed, January 30, 2008 - 4:35 pm CST

Dr. Bernard Eichold, Health Officer for the Mobile County Health Department, announced today that seven recently confirmed cases of varicella (chickenpox) at Knollwood Christian School constitute an outbreak of the illness.

In a letter from Dr. Eichold given to students at the school to take home today, he recommends that students who have previously received a varicella vaccination get a second dose. He also advises that students with a medical condition or medical exemption from vaccination contact their physician about having been exposed to chickenpox.

Parents wishing to have their children vaccinated should contact their physician or seek immunization services at the Mobile County Health Department’s Immunization Clinic, which is located at 251 N. Bayou St. The clinic accepts walk-ins from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. However, the Health Department and all its clinics will be closed this Saturday, Feb. 2, through Tuesday, Feb. 5, in observance of Mardi Gras.

What Is Chickenpox?
People who get the virus often develop a rash of spots that look like blisters all over their bodies. The blisters are small and sit on an area of red skin that can be anywhere from the size of a pencil eraser to the size of a dime.

You've probably heard that chickenpox are itchy. It's true. The illness also may come along with a runny nose and cough. But the good news is that chickenpox is a common illness for kids and most people get better by just resting like you do with a cold or the flu. And the really good news is that, thanks to the chickenpox vaccine, lots of kids don't get chickenpox at all. Kids who do get it, if they got the shot, often get less severe cases, which means they get better quicker.

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