Chickenpox Outbreak Confirmed In Pinellas County School

The Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County has confirmed a varicella cluster at a local elementary school.

According to the agency, eight students have been diagnosed with the vaccine-preventable disease as of Tuesday. Varicella, also known as chickenpox, is considered highly contagious to those who have not received vaccines.

State law prevents the department from identifying which elementary school the outbreak has been found at. Parents at the school, however, have been notified of the situation in writing, the health department wrote in an email to media.

Varicella is an acute infectious condition that spreads from person-to-person or by contact with fluid found in lesions that form on an infected person’s skin. Chickenpox presents with a rash and crusty lesions on the head, trunk and extremities of those infected. It also can give rise to a fever and other complications, the agency noted.

“In children with cancer or HIV who already have immune-compromised systems, symptoms are more serious,” the department’s email said. “Other complications may include infected lesions, pneumonia or even death.”

Prior to the introduction of the varicella vaccine, an estimated 1 in 60,000 cases were fatal, the agency said.

Cases of varicella are on the rise in Pinellas County. In 2015 alone, there were 38 cases in the county and 743 across the state. Pinellas cases have climbed from 16 in 2012 to last year’s 38.

“DOH-Pinellas continues to investigate the cluster and recommends that parents fully vaccinate infants and children at their healthcare provider’s office or at a health department location,” the agency stressed.

To find Pinellas department of health locations and hours to schedule an appointment for a varicella vaccine, visit the agency online. To learn more about all the immunizations children and adults should have, visit the Florida Department of Health online.

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