Many children suffering from chickenpox

For the past few weeks, many children in Faroese daycares have been suffering from blisters, fever, rashes and a reduced appetite.

These are symptoms of chickenpox, a highly contagious disease caused by the initial infection with varicella zoster virus (VZV).

”We’re seeing an outbreak of chickenpox these days,” says Tórshavn-based GP Amalia Danielsen.

Not part of vaccination programme

Chickenpox is not part of the child vaccination programme in the Faroes.

This, she explains, is partly because the symptoms are relatively mild for most children and partly because insufficient vaccination participation may not lead to herd immunity, thus increasing the risk of people being infected later on in life, which is deemed more dangerous.

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A common concern for parents is whether it is safe to bathe their children while they are suffering from chickenpox. According to the doctor, this is perfectly fine.

“Warm water may make the rash slightly worse, but hygiene is very important during the infection phase, so by all means bathe your child,” she says.

Most people who have had chickenpox will have immunity from it for the rest of their lives. However, the doctor explains, the VZV virus remains dormant in the nervous system for many years after recovery. For some, when they grow older, the virus may reactivate and travel along nerve pathways to their skin, resulting in shingles.

Outbreaks every four to five years

These outbreaks are common around this time of year.

“Chickenpox outbreaks typically occur every four or five years, around March-May, and although we are currently experiencing an outbreak, we are not seeing much of it in our clinic.”

Danielsen advises parents whose children are experiencing severe symptoms to give them paracetamol and antihistamines to ease the rashes, and otherwise ask their pharmacist for ointment solutions.

“Good hand hygiene is also important to ensure that the scratching does not cause infections,” she says.

“The worst symptoms tend to wear off after about a week.”

Read the Faroese version of this article here.

Translated by prosa.fo

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