A chickenpox patient being treated. (Source: VNA) HCM City (VNA) -The number of chickenpox cases in the southern region has been increasing in recent days, withmany newborn babies getting infected.
The chickenpox seasonbegins in February and lasts until June, peaking in May and June, said TruongHuu Khanh, head of the HCM City Paediatrics Hospital No 1’s infection andneurology department.
Since February, thehospital has been admitting an average of seven to nine children every week,Khanh said.
Many children under threemonths of age, including a nine-day-old patient, contracted the disease fromtheir mothers, he said.
To Minh Trang of Long An provincesaid that she had contracted chickenpox four days before delivering her baby.
Nine days later her newbornbaby developed symptoms of chickenpox with blisters on the face, hand and feet.
Newborn babies are highlyvulnerable, and the mortality rate in newborns is very high at 25-30 percent,Khanh said.
He advised that women ofchild-bearing age and children should get the chickenpox vaccine.
Nguyen Tran Nam, head ofthe infection ward, said the number of outpatients with chickenpox too hassoared in the past few days.
The illness is usually mildbut it can be dangerous for some people such as pregnant women, newborn babiesand people with weakened immune systems.-VNA
VNA
