An Introduction To Chickenpox

The following extract is from

• Chickenpox is a mild but highly infectious disease that most children catch at some point.

• It takes 10-21 days for the symptoms to show after you have come into contact with the virus. This is called the 'incubation period'.

• Chickenpox is most common in children who are between two and eight years of age, although you can develop chickenpox at any age.

• You are infectious from two days before the rash appears until about five days after. Therefore your child should stay at home until all of the blisters have fully crusted over, and this usually happens about a week after the first blister appears. After the last blister has burst and crusted over, you are no longer infectious.

• Once you've had chickenpox, it's very rare you should catch it again. This is because your body develops an immunity to the chickenpox virus, which stops you from becoming re-infected.

For more information on the symptoms and treatment of Chickenpox, please click here to visit the NHS Choices website.