Chickenpox cases reported in St. Joseph County

Seven cases of chickenpox have been reported to the health department’s St. Joseph County office this past week.
In January, the Michigan Disease Surveillance System confirmed seven cases in Hillsdale County; most of these cases involve school-age children.
According to Michigan law, all students are required to be immunized with two doses of Varicella vaccine or have had a history of chickenpox disease.
Children who are not fully immunized – meaning they have only had one dose of the Varicella vaccine or do not have verification of having had the disease – should be vaccinated immediately. If an outbreak of chickenpox occurs in your child’s school, your child will be excluded from school until the second dose is administered.
Currently, the health department is evaluating the immunization status of all children in the affected St. Joseph County Schools. While most children are in compliance with the Michigan’s Communicable Disease Rules, those that are not may be subject to exclusion as specified above.
The best way to prevent your child from catching chickenpox is through vaccination, according to tri-county health officials.