The Bristol Township School District has advised parents that a Harry S. Truman High School student has been diagnosed with chickenpox.
As of Friday morning, only one student has a confirmed case of the illness, Superintendent Dr. Melanie Gehrens told LevittownNow.com.
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Chickenpox, more formally known as varicella, is a once-common childhood illness that is highly contagious and causes itchy rashes, but it can have serious impacts for some who come down with it. Doctors have urged over the years that children receive the two-dose vaccine that has helped reduce the number of chickenpox cases.
“If you develop symptoms of this disease, you should not attend school or social gatherings until the rash has crusted over and no new lesions have appeared. Individuals are able to transmit the disease to others two days before the rash appears until the last lesion has crusted over,” the letter to Bristol Township parents said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the first dose of the chickenpox vaccine is recommended at age 12 to 15 months and the second dose at age 4 to 6 years. Teens and adults who were not vaccinated or did not get the second dose can receive it.
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Prior to the vaccine becoming routine, American saw about 4 million cases, 11,000 hospitalizations, and 100 to 150 deaths every year. Since the vaccine became common, the rate of chickenpox cases have fallen by 97 percent, according to the CDC.
