Chickenpox used to be rife amongst small children, parents even used to have chickenpox parties to spread the illness quickly amongst groups of children so they would all have it at the same time and get it over with. Now, there is a vaccination against chickenpox and many high street pharmacists offering the chickenpox vaccine all around the world. If you are looking for the chickenpox vaccination in Sydenham or the chickenpox vaccination in Northampton then Touchwood Pharmacy can provide this at our immunisation clinics.
What are the symptoms of chickenpox?
Chickenpox is an illness which begins rather like a cold virus, the child will feel unwell and irritatable and this precedes the arrival of the characteristic spots associated with chickenpox. These spots usually manifest after about a week and blister, filling with fluid. They can be incredibly itchy and during this period, the illness is often accompanied by a high fever. When the blisters burst, the spots will scab over. It is very difficult to stop tiny children from scratching the spots although there are things called scratch mittens which kids can wear at night to prevent them from rubbing at the spots. The spots can scar if they are scratched and these scars will take many years to fade.
The chickenpox vaccination
Chickenpox is caused by the Varicella Zoster virus and the chickenpox vaccination is not routinely included in the childhood immunisation programme offered by the NHS but can be obtained privately. Chickenpox in adults is a much more serious condition and can cause complications. You can arrange the vaccine for yourself or your child at our immunisation clinic. For infants, the protocol is one shot at around when they are one-year-old and the second booster on starting pre-school. For adults, the vaccine is given as two injections with around eight weeks gap between each shot.
For more information about the chickenpox vaccination in Northampton and the chickenpox vaccination in Sydenham, check our website to find out more.
