Oakland County has seen an increase in chicken pox cases reported - and this is no surprise given the decreasing rates of vaccination. Because it has been years (maybe since your own childhood) since you last saw anyone with chicken pox I thought it would be a good idea to remind you what to look for.
Varicella is the chicken pox virus. When I was a kid, practically everyone had the itchy, feverish illness before they were teenagers. Starting in
I get a lot of questions about shingles and whether or not exposure to a person with them is problematic. Here are the common questions and answers:
Q: What is shingles?
A: Shingles is a painful, stinging and itchy, red blister-like rash in a specific area that corresponds to a nerve in the body.
Q: What causes it?
A: Once you have been exposed to the chicken pox virus (either though having the illness or getting the vaccine) the virus
