I went to two cases of adult chickenpox last night, the hospital says that there was another adult with chickenpox the day before that. It seems like we have a little outbreak here.
As both my patients were Nigerian, I have a sneaky feeling that the big (mainly Nigerian) church in Newham may be where the disease was spread and the timing of the symptoms would support this.
As one of the families had school-age children with the disease, I'm going to guess that a lot of children will be ill over the next few days.
Off the top of my head, I can't remember if I have been vaccinated against chickenpox – but I do know that I had it twice when I was a child, both times at Christmas.
I'm writing this at 3:20am, and I'm stuck on station because my fast response car seems to have gone into 'safe mode', and I can't drive faster than 25mph.
Which is a bit slow for a 'Fast' car.
The book is going pretty well at the moment (although as I'm working for the next two nights, I'll be taking a break from it)
Finally – these three shifts, Friday, Saturday and Sunday night will be the last I spend on the FRU. From Monday (well… my first shift is actually on Friday) I shall be back to working on an ambulance.
Joy!
UPDATE: For some reason (writing at half past three in the morning with no food or rest perhaps?) I wrote 'measles' instead of 'chickenpox'. Post has been updated to correct this.
Yes and no. While indeed you have a reduced risk after first infection these things aren't perfect and you can still have a second occurance.
so Glad it be not its cozen, cowpox or the great one., no milk maids left.
“Safe mode”? Sounds like everything is powered by (and broken by!) wondows these days!
wondows, windows….. serves me right for trying to post at this time of the morning.
To my knowledge there isn't a chickenpox vaccine available…
there is a vaccine – varicella (proper name for chickenpox) vaccine. though it isn't used routinely – i await the posting to correct this :)usually much worse in adults than children, prob about 15 – 20 adults a year die from chickenpox
Enjoy the new life Tom.
Don't understand – why are you bothered about your chickenpox status in a measles outbreak?
As both my patients were Nigerian, I have a sneaky feeling…This statement left me very confused until I realised it said PATIENTS not PARENTS…
You're writing a book? Get a good proofreader, son.
Hell, yes! Thank God I was not the only one…
I didn't think you could get chickenpox twice. I always thought you were immune after the first time but could get shingles afterwards…
And why is your guest account called bbx?
Wondows sounds better in the circumstances. I like wondows.
thirded…
We'd all be no good at it looking at the comments so far
Heh – well, I won't be writing my book at half past three in the morning after having nothing to eat…I'll edit the post when I get to a proper computer.
It's a quirk of Blogware.
It can cause varicella pneumonia if I remember correctly.
I thought once you'd had it you couldn't get chickenpox again. It is much better to have it as a sprog rather than as an adult though.
[ bad joke ]because it make you Wondows what wrong now 😀
[ / bad joke ]
I've had it twice, and so have a couple of other people I know.It's a seaonal condition (and I don't know why), but it peaks around Christmas. We always lose one or two of our nativity play cast in the playgroup where I work 'cos of chickenpox.
I believe they vaccinate for it in the states, but over here have decided that as it is usually a mild thing, we needn't bother.
Varicella vaccine is routinely given to toddlers with their other shots here in the US. I often think it's simply to save the parents from having to call out from work to stay home with the kiddies. My older two have had chicken pox naturally (ie: from other children) but the youngest has yet to have it despite not getting the vaccine.
You car was probably protecting itself against the chickenpox that turned out to be something else. Will you miss working FRU?The Driving instructor
Wind all your windows all the way down and then back up again. Fixes Windows everytime (nearly).