Kia ora e te whānau
One of our students in Kahikatea has been confirmed as having chickenpox.
This email is just to give you a heads up, particularly if your child hasn't been vaccinated for whatever reason, including if they have come to New Zealand after living overseas.
All children in New Zealand can have chickenpox immunisation at 15 months of age. It is part of the National Immunisation Schedule. Most people who have this vaccine will not get chickenpox. If an immunised person does get chickenpox, it is usually mild.
I have taken some key points about chickenpox from the KidsHealth website, and you can read more information here if you need it: KidsHealth: Chickenpox
Key Points to Know about Chickenpox:
- chickenpox is a common childhood illness caused by a virus
- it is very easy to catch
- most cases of chickenpox are mild and children get better completely
- your child needs to see a doctor if they have a very high fever or are very ill, particularly if they become very drowsy, or are breathing fast or vomiting a lot
- children with chickenpox need to stay home from school and daycare
- chickenpox can sometimes cause serious complications
Early symptoms:
Chickenpox can often start with the following symptoms:
- a fever
- a headache
- a runny nose
- a cough
- loss of appetite
- feeling tired