Health department urges parents to vaccinate against chickenpox

Officials from the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency are urging parents to have their children vaccinated against the chickenpox virus, as new cases of chickenpox continue to be reported in St. Joseph County as recently as last week.
According to Kim Wilhelm, prevention services director for the tri-county health department, two additional cases of chickenpox were reported by the parents of two children who were sent home from school.
Chickenpox is considered a typical childhood illness, the disease is highly contagious. In addition, it poses significant risks for infants, adolescents, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems because of illness or medications.