Chicken Pox - Colorado Springs,CO

It may not be chicken pox, actually I would be really surprised if it was. I know that you can still get chicken pox if you were vaccinated for them but if you child was vaccinated in the US then chances are he was vaccinated for varicella (chicken pox). And even if he did get the chicken pox the virus would be VERY mild. There are many, many other childhood virus's that can cause a rash and be itchy. I would take him to the doctor and have it diagnosed before you decide that it is chicken pox. Especially if he was vaccinated because they will want to know if he does have it to report that has it to infection disease for statistic purposes. 2 of my sons right now have a rash from head to toe and are itchy but don't have chicken pox, it is another virus. Chicken pox are blistery little pustules that come up in crops all over the body usually starting on the trunk and spreading outward. They last about a week and once they have crusted over they are no longer contagious. As long as they are getting new croppings they are still contagious. They problem with chicken pox is that they are contagious before they get the spots. They develop flu like symptoms, fever, sore throat, runny nose,loss of appetite, fatigue... Rarely it can be serious. Try to prevent scratching to avoid skin infections and scarring. Calmine lotion helps, so does oatmeal bathes.

Your best advice is to take him to the doctor to get a confirmed diagnosis.

S.

Mom of 4 boys.

Hi! I'm glad your son doesn't have chicken pox! I just wanted to chime in and tell you that unless your child has the initial Varicella vaccine AND the Booster shot, they will likely get chicken pox, if exposed. My son came down with them while we were visiting family last Christmas and we unknowingly spread them to 3 of my nieces and nephews (who all had the first shot)! NOT great for the holidays! They are most contagious BEFORE the spots show up, which is tricky.

My 2 daughters came down with them a week after, and 2 weeks after my son had them, so we were quarantined for a few weeks! All 3 of my kids had the first shot, but I was unaware of the booster and my pediatrician never mentioned it. :-) I wish I had known!

Does the rash look like mosquito bites? Has he developed a fever? Is he cranky? If so, it's probably chicken pox. If not, It might be something else.

As for what to do if it is chicken pox - here's what I learned from experience. He will have a fever. He will be grouchy and itchy. Aveeno oatmeal baths help. Calamine lotion helps a little. Sympathy helps. Please emphasize to him not to scratch if possible - scratching the spots can lead to scars. Still, my daughter had it when she was 18 months old (too young to understand about not scratching) and she only has 2 little scars. Also, isolate him from other kids if possible - chicken pox is very contagious. I no longer remember how long it is contagious, but a doctor or even WebMD could tell you that.

If you haven't done so yet, you may want to take him in to the doctor just to be sure that it is chicken pox he has and to learn what complications to be on the lookout for. Complications are very rare but dangerous and do require immediate medical attention.

Good luck!

Do not let him scratch them or he will have scars once the chicken pox are gone. He cannot go anywhere because they are highly contagious, so he has to stay inside until they are scabbed over and he does not have a fever. Get calamine (sp)lotion it comes in a pink bottle. It is a chicken pox soothing lotion and finally baths help a lot to keep the mind off chicken pox.

Oatmeal baths work great. You could buy the one made by Johnsons & Johnsons or Aveeno. Calamine or Caladryl lotion also works to help soothe the itching.