South Carolina Logs 2 Chickenpox Outbreaks; Authorities Encourage Vaccination

Authorities in South Carolina are urging parents to keep their children's vaccinations up to date as the state logs two chickenpox outbreaks.

South Carolina has recorded its first two chickenpox outbreaks since 2020, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) noted in a statement Tuesday. Both outbreaks were recorded in early March. The first one was in a "childcare setting" in Lowcountry Region on March 4 and the other was in an elementary school in the Upstate Region on March 10.

As part of the control measures for the two outbreaks, 70 people have been "excluded" from the place where the outbreak occurred due to either having the disease or being unvaccinated for it, the DHEC noted.

Chickenpox or varicella is a "highly contagious disease" that's caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It can cause the patient to develop itchy, "blister-like" rashes that begin to appear on the face, chest and back then spreads to the rest of the body, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Overall, it can cause about 250 to 500 itchy blisters.

Chickenpox can be serious in certain populations, such as in babies, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems. Some of the serious complications that can arise from chickenpox include bacterial infections in the skin or soft tissues, pneumonia, bloodstream infections or infection or swelling of the brain.

In the early 1990s, before the chickenpox vaccine became available in the U.S. in 1995, chickenpox affected millions of people, causing 10,500 to 13,000 hospitalizations and 100 to 150 deaths each year.

"The best way to prevent chickenpox is to get the chickenpox vaccine," the CDC explained. "Each year, more than 3.5 million cases of chickenpox, 9,000 hospitalizations, and 100 deaths are prevented by chickenpox vaccination in the United States."

However, rates of routine childhood vaccinations have been decreasing, the DHEC noted. According to the agency, this leaves room for the "resurgence" of diseases that are already vaccine-preventable.

As such, the agency is urging parents to make sure their children's vaccinations are up to date.

"These two varicella outbreaks as well as a decline in childhood vaccination coverage highlight the need for a renewed focus on maintaining recommended childhood vaccinations," Dr. Linda Bell, state epidemiologist, said in the DHEC news release. "We encourage parents to consult their children's medical provider to ensure their child's vaccination record is current."