Chickenpox outbreak occurs in Morgan County middle school

Some 24 students have fallen ill in an outbreak of chickenpox at a Morgan County school, the Morgan County Health Department confirmed Monday.

Students at a middle school were diagnosed with the disease between Sept. 15 and Nov. 18, said Stephanie Stevens, regional epidemiology specialist.

More than five confirmed cases is considered an outbreak.
Stevens would not identify the middle school where the outbreak occurred.

The last time a chickenpox outbreak occurred in Morgan County was 2004, she said.

This outbreak is “not a bad one, especially since we’re a smaller community,” she said.

Chickenpox patients are contagious for one to two days before the rash appears, then until the rash scabs over. It takes five to 10 days for the disease to run its course, and about 10 to 21 days from exposure to when symptoms develop.

Symptoms include an itchy rash of small red blisters, fever and headache, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The virus is highly infectious.

Stevens said the outbreak happened among middle school-aged students because the vaccine was not mandatory until after those children entered school.

Patients who receive the vaccine can still get chickenpox, but the vaccine prevents a severe case of the illness.

Children are required to have the chickenpox vaccine before they enter public school. Children who have not had the vaccine may be vaccinated at the health department, Stevens said.

Two doses of the vaccine is recommended during an outbreak.