• Question: Why does everybody get chickenpox at the same sort of age?

    Asked by to Bethany, Hannah, Keith, Peter, Ramya on 18 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Peter Elliott

      Peter Elliott answered on 18 Jun 2014:

      Chickenpox is caused by a very contagious virus which is spread by coughing, sneezing or direct contact of burst blisters. Typically the disease predominantly affects children aged 6-10 (though I’m entirely certain why it doesn’t affect younger children).

      As it is so contagious as soon as one child is infected the close space they share with their classmates means that very quickly everyone in the school becomes infected. This is why you might see that children of a similar age are infected at the same time.

      As an interesting side, I became very popular at school when I developed chickenpox and started having lots of new playmates. Only now do I recognise that the parents of those children where deliberately trying to get their kids infected. As the symptoms experienced as a child, whilst incredibly unpleasant, are actually much safer than catching chickenpox as an adult.

    • Photo: Hannah Tanner

      Hannah Tanner answered on 19 Jun 2014:

      As Peter has said I think there are a few important factors here.
      1) The chicken pox virus is very infectious. 90% of people who are not immune and have contact with someone who has chicken pox will also get infected with the virus
      2) The early stages of chicken pox are like having a cold so infected children will generally have been spreading it for a day or two before they get the characteristic itchy spots.
      3) Once you’ve had chicken pox you don’t get infected again.

      During a outbreak of infection most people who have not had chicken pox before will get infected. Because the infection comes round so often it will only be those who are quite young who have not been exposed to it before so it’s the young who get the disease.

      It’s best to get chicken pox when you are young as infections in adults tend to be more severe. If you get chicken pox when pregnant it can be a very severe infection and there is a small chance it can harm the unborn baby.

      Interestingly – even if you had chicken pox years ago, being exposed to children with chicken pox helps boost your immunity to the virus and can help stop it breaking out again as shingles when you are older.

      There is a vaccine against chicken pox virus that can protect people who’ve never had the real infection.

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