Chickenpox. (ID 12338740 © Kasiap | Dreamstime.com)

By paNOW Staff

Chickenpox

Possible varicella exposure in Shellbrook, Prince Albert emergency rooms

Oct 24, 2024 | 10:48 AM

Anyone who visited emergency rooms in Prince Albert or Shellbrook during specific times on Oct. 10 or Oct. 11 may have been exposed to varicella, also known as chickenpox.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) said anyone who may have been present at the times and locations listed below should check their vaccination status and monitor for symptoms.

Shellbrook Hospital Emergency

Oct. 10, 2024 from 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Prince Albert Victoria Hospital Emergency

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Oct. 10, 2024 from 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 11, 2024 from 12 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Symptoms include a fever followed by a rash, which is typically itchy, starting on the body from 10 to 21 days following exposure. Symptoms are less common in fully vaccinated people, but a mild illness can sometimes still occur.

The SHA said varicella is very contagious and spreads easily from person to person through the air by sneezing or coughing or by direct contact with the fluid in the blisters. The virus that causes chickenpox can reactivate and cause shingles later in life.

If you’re unsure of your varicella vaccination status, you can check your health record on MySaskHealthRecord or call your local Public Health Office to inquire.

The SHA said varicella is a vaccine-preventable disease and its typically administered for free to infants at 12 months and 18 months as part of the Measles-Mumps-Rubella-Varicella (MMRV) vaccination.

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panews@pattisonmedia.com