Varicella Case Confirmed at Ross Elementary School
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 09:06AM Jason Eberhart-Phillips, MD, MPH, Public Health Officer in Marin county reported yesterday that a 6th grade student at Ross Elementary School had a confirmed case of varicella (chickenpox). The student has had no vaccines. The varicella diagnosis was confirmed by the child's pediatrician.
There were no high-risk household contacts, but there are two pregnant teachers (if not immune and a pregnant woman contracts varicella in pregnancy, the fetus can have birth defects) and one immunocompromised teacher (immunocompromised persons are at risk for serious complications) at the child's school. The onset date was 12/23/11. The child's last day in school was 12/16/11. The rash completely crusted on 12/30/11. The school nurse will send a notice to parents and staff.
Prevention of disease is key. This is yet another instance that shows how important immunization is not only to keep our children healthy, but to help keep our entire community healthy as well.