Chickenpox is cropping up across New South Wales, prompting fresh warnings for parents to vaccinate their children to protect vulnerable Australians.
Chickenpox is popping up across New South Wales, prompting fresh warnings for parents to vaccinate their children on time to protect vulnerable Australians.Medical professionals are urging children to be vaccinated against chickenpox, amid a rise in cases
The virus can be particularly harmful for children who have weakened immune systems due to existing conditionsEight children from one class at a school on Sydney's lower north shore have been kept home in the past fortnight because of the virus."I'm really thankful that we had access to vaccination because I know when I had chickenpox as a kid it was really, really awful," Ms Hughes said.
However, chickenpox is not a notifiable condition in NSW, so comprehensive data collection is difficult.Professor Christine McCartney from the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance was this week woken by an emergency call about a pregnant patient who was exposed to chickenpox. Expectant mothers can pass on the virus to unborn children and rare complications include scarring of the baby, limb deformities and brain damage."Particularly patients with cancer or others on treatment that will be lowering their immunity," she said.Her father, Craig Harley, says common childhood illnesses can be serious in a child with reduced immunity and can cause problems including pneumonia and inflammation of the brain.
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