In a startling Facebook post which shows graphic images of an 11-month-old infant with what appears to be painful blisters and scabs, his mother is blaming people who refuse to vaccinate their children for what happened to her son.
“Vaccinate your kids, people,” the viral post starts. “The pictures below show you exactly why.”
According to his mother Kayley Burke, 11-month-old Elijah was too young to be immunised, and so when he was exposed to the chicken pox virus, he contracted it.
To make matters worse, Elijah contracted a secondary infection.
“It has almost been a week since they showed up,” Kayley recalls. “Today he was admitted to Ipswich Hospital with a secondary infection.”
In a Popsugar report, it said that it is fairly uncommon for a baby as young as Elijah to get chicken pox, also known as varicella.
American Academy of Pediatrics says that babies’ antibodies against virus are acquired from their mothers while in the womb; it protects them during their first year of life before they could be vaccinated at 12 to 15 months of age.
However, the Popsugar report said, chicken pox is so contagious that it can be passed from person to person, usually between those who’ve gone unvaccinated, with remarkable ease.
When babies get chicken pox, it’s usually a mild case, but sometimes even healthy babies and children can develop serious complications from it. Such complications include pneumonia, encephalitis, brain swelling, or a bacterial skin infection.
meanwhile, varicella vaccine is proven to be an effective measure to prevent severe illness in almost all children; it is 85 percent effective in preventing even mild illness.
Find out how to prevent chicken pox on the next page
How to prevent chicken pox
Getting vaccinated reduces the chances of a child catching chicken pox. It will also lead to experiencing milder chicken pox symptoms and having a faster recovery period compared to someone who isn’t immunised.
The injection periods are: when the child is between 12 to 15 months old; this is followed by a booster shot at the ages of 4 to 6.
Those 13 years above who didn’t receive vaccination for chicken pox must receive two doses that have a 28-day interval.
To prevent spreading the disease to others at home:
- Practice proper hygiene. Ask everyone to always wash their hands properly (follow the 20 second rule) before eating and after coming from the bathroom.
- Isolate the child who is infected with chicken pox.
- Encourage the care takers to use masks inside the room and wash their hands after leaving the room.