Chicken Pox Prevention:
Because of the highly contagious nature of chicken pox, preventing one from acquiring the disease is of prime consideration. However, this may not be always possible especially for those who work in hospitals and clinics where there is the possibility of one acquiring the disease through contact with patients.
Because straying away from chicken pox patients is not always possible especially at the household level, other ways of prevention were developed. These ways include the following:
- Strengthening one’s immune system: Although it is unpredictable when the disease is likely to strike, keeping oneself fit and robust is a sure way to prevent chicken pox disease. One should take sufficient amount of vitamin C and calcium to strengthen the immune system. On the other hand, there is a false sense of security brought about by belief that once a person has contracted the disease before, one will not acquire it again. Although this is true for most, some people get infected by the disease more than once in their lives, especially when their immune system is weak.
- Vaccination: This is done as a preventive measure in some countries. Most of these vaccines belong to the varicella vaccine developed in the ’70s.
Preventing Chickenpox
Varivax vaccine for chicken pox is recommended to young kids (between age 4 and 6), and unvaccinated older children (between age 7 and 13) and adults with no history of chickenpox disease. Recommended doses of the vaccine are:
- For young kids