Chickenpox factsheet
Introduction
Chickenpox is a common virus in children that causes a red, spotty rash. It is also known as the varicella or varicella-zoster virus.
Chickenpox is most common in children between two and ten years old. Children are at a higher risk of getting chickenpox if they:
- have never had the chickenpox vaccine
- have never had chickenpox.
Signs and symptoms
Chickenpox causes a red, spotty rash that can spread all over the body, including:
- face and scalp
- arms and legs
- inside the ears
- on the eyelids
- inside the nose
- inside the vagina.
Your child will develop a rash one to two days after being infected with the virus. Some children will have only a few rash spots, while others may have hundreds all over their bodies.
Itchy, fluid-filled blisters will appear a few hours after the rash spots appear. These blisters can break easily and form a scab, a crust that develops over a wound to protect it during healing.
The rash will spread over three to four days and heal at different rates. Your child may have rash spots and blisters that are all at different stages of healing.
Other symptoms of chickenpox can include:
- fever
- headache
- runny nose
- a cough
- feeling tired.
Diagnosis
Your child’s doctor can diagnose chickenpox by:
- checking their rash and other symptoms
- asking about your child’s vaccination history
- testing a swab of fluid from the rash or blister.
Treatment
Because chickenpox is a viral infection, it cannot be treated with antibiotics.
You can help your child recover from chickenpox at home by:
- making sure they rest
- encouraging them to drink fluids
- giving over-the-counter medication like paracetamol or ibuprofen to manage fever and pain
Calamine lotion can dry the skin and make the spots itchier, so talk to your doctor or pharmacist about medicines or creams for blisters and itching.
Do not give aspirin to your child if they have chickenpox, as this can cause serious side effects.
Children should stay home from daycare or school while they have chickenpox.
Once your child's rash starts to dry and form scabs, talk to your local doctor about returning to school and daycare.
Management
Immunisation
The best way to protect your child from chickenpox is to have them immunised as part of the Australian National Immunisation Program (NIP).
Children will get the varicella vaccine for chickenpox at 18 months. It is included in the measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine.
Children who have already had chickenpox should still have the vaccine.
Chickenpox can spread easily in households, so it is important that the whole family is immunised. A catch-up vaccine is available for people up to 19 who have not had it.
How chickenpox spreads
Children with chickenpox can spread the virus:
- one to two days before they start to have symptoms
- until their rash and blisters have dried out and scabbed over.
You may be unable to tell whether your child has had contact with someone unwell with chickenpox.
Chickenpox spreads very quickly through:
- fluid droplets from coughing and sneezing
- touching the skin or blisters of someone unwell
- sharing things like toys, clothing, and drink bottles used by someone unwell.
Supporting your child in having good hygiene is important to stop the spread of chickenpox.
Good hygiene includes:
- washing hands with soap before and after touching someone unwell
- covering your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing
- staying home when unwell or wearing a mask if you need to go out
- not sharing cups, cutlery, toys, and other items
- cleaning surfaces and items in the home with disinfectant.
Chickenpox scarring
The chickenpox rash and blisters can be very itchy. Scratching blisters can cause tears and lead to infection. This can result in more severe illness and scarring, a permanent mark on the skin after it has healed.
To help prevent itching and scarring, you can try:
- dressing your child in lightweight pyjamas or clothing
- clipping your child's fingernails as closely as you can
- putting mittens on the hands of very young children and babies
- changing your child’s clothes and bed sheets daily
- applying a soothing lotion like sorbolene.
If your child is very itchy and struggling with scratching, their doctor may suggest medication or creams to help.
Shingles
After having chickenpox, the virus remains in the body without causing symptoms. Shingles is a condition that happens in adults when the chickenpox virus becomes active again. The reason this happens is unknown, but some factors can increase the risk of it happening.
These include:
- stress
- illness
- getting older
- trauma
- illness or treatments that affect the immune system.
People who have shingles can spread the varicella virus to others when they touch skin blisters. This causes chickenpox in people who have never had the virus or the varicella vaccination.
When to see your doctor
See your local doctor as soon as possible if your child has chickenpox and:
- develops a high fever
- become very drowsy
- starts breathing fast
- is vomiting
- becomes dehydrated.
