Search results
After 2 doses, the chickenpox vaccine provides around 98% protection in children and about 75% protection in adults. Further booster doses are not needed. If you get chickenpox after being vaccinated, you'll usually have milder symptoms than someone who has not been vaccinated.
Apr 27, 2022 · Chickenpox. at least 5 days from the onset of the rash and until all blisters have crusted over. Diarrhoea and Vomiting. 48 hours after their last episode. Cold and flu-like illness...
Chickenpox can spread through schools like wildfire, so how can you help your child, and how long do they need to stay off school? Chickenpox is almost a childhood rite of passage – it’s not so much a question of if they’ll get it, but when.
The chickenpox vaccine. You can get the chickenpox vaccine on the NHS if there's a risk of harming someone with a weakened immune system if you spread the virus to them. For example, a child can be vaccinated if 1 of their parents is having chemotherapy.
- Overview
- Teach good hygiene habits
- Stopping the spread of stomach bugs
- Spot the signs of when to keep your child at home
- Get vaccinated
- Use NHS resources
UK Health Security Agency reminds parents of back-to-school advice amid rising levels of winter illness in the new year.
Parents are urged to take simple steps to give their children the best start to the new school term and protect their communities following the Christmas break.
Encouraging good hand-washing habits is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread. Regularly wash hands in soap and warm water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitiser when convenient.
Using a tissue to catch coughs and sneezes, binning it and then washing hands will help prevent infection from spreading.
Along with rising cases of norovirus, UKHSA has also been seeing higher levels of other gastrointestinal infections, such as Shiga toxin-producing E.coli.
If you or your child have diarrhoea and vomiting, washing your hands with soap and warm water and using bleach-based products to clean surfaces will help stop infections from spreading. Don’t prepare food for others if you have symptoms or for 48 hours after symptoms stop.
While children are encouraged to stay in education or childcare with symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat or slight cough (if otherwise well and do not have a high temperature), children should stay home from school or nursery if they’re displaying the following symptoms:
If your child has a fever and is unwell, they should stay home from school or nursery until the fever has passed and they are well enough to attend.
If your child has diarrhoea and/or vomiting, they should stay off school or nursery for at least 48 hours after their symptoms clear up – this will help stop the spread of stomach bugs.
At this time of year, other types of illnesses that circulate are scarlet fever and chickenpox, as cases usually peak in late winter and early spring.
Symptoms of scarlet fever include sore throat, fever, swollen neck glands, a bumpy rash on the tummy, flushed cheeks and ‘strawberry tongue’. If you suspect your child has scarlet fever, contact your local GP; and if diagnosed stay away from nursery or school for 24 hours after the first dose of antibiotics.
Chickenpox is highly contagious, with the most common symptom being an itchy, spotty rash. If your child has chickenpox, keep them off school until all the spots have crusted over.
Vaccination offers the best protection against flu and is given as a quick and painless nasal spray for children. However, vaccine uptake amongst pre-school children is one of the lowest, despite the illness being more serious for this ages group in some cases.
Children eligible for the flu vaccine include:
•children aged 2 to 3 years old on 31 August in 2023
•all primary school-aged children (reception to year 6)
•secondary school-aged children (year 7 to year 11)
•children aged 6 months and older with long-term health conditions
NHS UK provides easily accessible guidance for parents to help manage winter illness at home.
Dr Catherine Falconer, Deputy Director Health Equity and Inclusion Health at UKHSA, said:
The winter period can see an increase in some of the common seasonal viruses which disrupt children’s education and cause more serious illnesses. As children head back to school, there are steps parents and families can take to keep a household healthy this January whilst also preventing infections from spreading when children are poorly. By following this guidance, parents are also protecting the wider community.
UK Health Security Agency press office
10 South Colonnade
London
Sep 3, 2024 · 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.
Jun 25, 2024 · Children usually catch chickenpox in winter and spring, particularly between March and May. Symptoms of chickenpox. Chickenpox causes a rash of red, itchy spots that turn into fluid-filled blisters. They then crust over to form scabs, which eventually drop off. Chickenpox spots. The spots normally appear in clusters and tend to be: behind the ears.
