Infectious childhood vaccination protects your child from chickenpox

Chicken Pox: How Vaccination Protects Your Child from Highly Infectious Disease

Chickenpox is highly contagious and is one of the most common childhood diseases. Health experts provide information about the infectious disease affecting almost every child. In this context, they point out that the offspring should be protected by effective vaccinations.

One of the most common childhood diseases

Chickenpox is one of the most common childhood diseases. Although adults also get ill, most of the patients are children. The infectious disease is triggered by the highly contagious varicella-zoster virus (VZV). The disease itself can not be treated causally, only the symptoms can be alleviated by drugs or home remedies. According to health experts and professional organizations such as the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) "vaccination as active immunization" is the "best prevention of a varicella infection." The Foundation Child Health now points to the protection of the vaccine.

Chickenpox is one of the most common childhood diseases. By vaccination, the offspring can be protected from it. (Image: loflo / fotolia.com)

Number of diseases decreased due to vaccinations

As reported by the Foundation for Child Health in a recent communication, vaccination against chickenpox has been one of the vaccinations recommended by the Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) for 15 years.

Previously, it had been advised only for special risk groups, such as children with a compromised immune system.

In 2004, the STIKO decided: In the future, all children should receive the vaccine, preferably together with the vaccine against mumps, measles and rubella at the age of eleven to 14 and 15 to 23 months.

According to Stiftung Kindergesundheit, the decision proved to be highly useful for the generation of children born since then, as the number of chickenpox diseases has since declined significantly in Germany.

Protect children from serious infectious diseases

"Vaccinations are among the greatest successes of modern medicine," said pediatrician Professor Dr. med. Berthold Koletzko, Chairman of the Foundation for Child Health.

"Thanks to vaccinations, many of the horrors of early childhood have become so rare. Modern vaccines are well-tolerated and protect children from serious infectious diseases, "said the expert.

"The vaccine against chickenpox provides a current example of the success of a sustainable vaccination strategy."

Viruses effortlessly overcome distances of ten meters

As the Foundation writes, chickenpox (in technical terms: varicella) their name is quite right: their pathogen, the "Varicella Zoster Virus" (VZV) blows really with the wind everywhere.

Not only do the viruses fly through open doors, they also effortlessly negotiate distances of ten meters on the rise of staircases and even on house walls.

Therefore, it is difficult to prevent the unvaccinated siblings of a sick or unvaccinated children in the neighborhood or in the nursery infected.

Most typical symptom of the disease

The disease usually begins eleven to 21 days after infection with mild fever and fatigue.

The most typical symptom of the infectious disease is a red, itchy rash with small nodules on the skin.

According to the foundation, you can almost see how the rash arises: First, small, pale red spots appear and then turn into thin-walled, match head big bubbles. They burst even under light pressure.

The rash develops in batches: The individual stages of development - spots, blisters and dried crusts - follow each other closely. This creates the impression of a veritable "star map" with different sized "stars".

Some children have more than 500 itchy blisters (sometimes even in the mouth or vagina), the average number of blisters is 350.

Serious illnesses possible

The most infectious are the children one to two days before the appearance of the blisters and six to seven days after the onset of the disease.

Thereafter, the risk of infection weakens, but only extinguishes with certainty when the last crusts have fallen off.

Some children do not feel sick at all despite the rash and have only slightly elevated body temperature. Others, however, make a very bad impression. The disease is often severe in children who suffer from atopic dermatitis (eczema).

Studies on the incidence of complications have shown that about 16 percent of patients had a severe disease course and complications rate was 5.7 percent.

These were mainly so-called bacterial superinfections: The children scratch with dirty fingernails on the itchy blisters and it comes to additional inflammation by bacteria.

Pneumonia is a relatively common, encephalitis (brain inflammation) is a rather rare complication of chickenpox infection.

"Side effects" that affect the whole family

According to the Foundation for Child Health, the "side effects" of the disease, which can not only burden the affected child but the entire family, are not to be underestimated.

For example, the child has been "taken out of circulation" by the chickenpox for well over a week. It may not be in kindergarten or at school. Holiday trips or excursions must be canceled and also the invitation to the children's birthday can be written in the wind.

Because grandparents can not take care of the sick child everywhere, one parent has to stay home during this time. Some single mother, working mother is put through the chickenpox in front of a seemingly unsolvable situation.

Childhood is the safest part of life

The recommended vaccine has not only reduced the number of illnesses, but has also been less common in chickenpox in non-vaccinated infants and adults.

Because when many people are vaccinated, fewer and fewer pathogens are in circulation. The result is a so-called herd immunity and it benefits even non-vaccinated children and adults, reports the Foundation Child Health.

"The fact that childhood today is the safest part of life, our children owe much of their vaccinations," said Professor. Berthold Koletzko.

"The Foundation for Child Health is therefore convinced that parents should take every opportunity to prevent diseases that can threaten their child with effective vaccinations. Chickenpox is one of them ". (Ad)