Southwest Parke School Corporation students not vaccinated for chickenpox will be excluded from school
In light of a chickenpox outbreak that has infected at least 8 Southwest Parke School Corporation students, officials say that unvaccinated students, who do not have two properly administered doses of the varicella (chickenpox) vaccine on record, are being excluded from school until they are vaccinated or until 21 days following the last exposure in school.
In response, the Parke County Health Department and the Southwest Parke School Corporation held two in-school immunization clinics for students, faculty, staff, and their families.
Approximately 230 unimmunized or under-immunized students and faculty are expected to attend one of the clinics.
According to the Indiana Department of Health:
In outbreak situations, all students are required to have documentation of immunity to chickenpox, including documentation of disease from a health care provider, two doses of chickenpox vaccine, lab test that proves immunity to chickenpox, or have been born before 1980.
Chickenpox is a common, usually benign childhood disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), a member of the herpes family. This virus causes two distinct diseases; varicella (chickenpox) is the primary infection, and later when VSV reactivates, herpes zoster (shingles).
Chickenpox is highly contagious and is spread by coughing and sneezing, by direct contact and by aerosolization of the virus from skin lesions. You can also get it by contact with the vesicle secretions from shingles.
Chickenpox image/CDC
The disease is characterized by fever and a red, itchy skin rash of that usually starts on the abdomen, back or face and then spreads to nearly all parts of the body. The rash begins as small red bumps that appear as pimples or insect bites. They then develop into thin-walled blisters that are filled with clear fluid which collapse on puncture. The blisters then breaks, crusts over, and leaves dry brown scabs.
The chickenpox lesions may be present in several stages of maturity and are more abundant on covered skin rather than exposed. Lesions may also be found in the mouth, upper respiratory tract and genitals.
Chickenpox is contagious from 1-2 days before the rash forms and continues until all the lesions are crusted over (usually about 5 days).
This disease is more serious in adults than in children. Complications of chickenpox are rare, but include pneumonia, encephalitis and secondary bacterial infections.
Infection with this virus usually gives lifelong immunity, though second attacks have been documented in immunocompromised people. The viral infection remains latent, and disease may recur years later as shingles.
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