Recently, TikToker Chany, whose real name is Tran Thi Thu Trang, 23, shared her experience contracting chickenpox while in Dubai for a boxing competition. She developed symptoms on the third day of her trip, requiring a doctor's visit that cost approximately 37 million VND, and forcing her to cancel her match. This incident significantly impacted her health and mental well-being.

Doctor Nguyen Le Nga, Medical Manager at VNVC Vaccination System, explained that chickenpox, also known as varicella, is caused by the Varicella Zoster virus. The disease can affect all age groups, from children to adults.

According to doctor Nga, a frequently overlooked aspect is that chickenpox does not manifest immediately after infection. The incubation period typically lasts 10-21 days. During this time, infected individuals may not show clear symptoms, allowing them to attend school, work, travel, fly, or engage in crowded activities as usual.

Travelers check trip information and learn about preventive measures at the train station. Photo: Vecteezy

"Individuals who frequently travel for leisure, business, competitions, or large events can silently contract the pathogen before their trip. When they develop symptoms abroad, quarantine, examination, and treatment can be very inconvenient, costly, and disrupt their entire itinerary," doctor Nga stated.

In Vietnam, chickenpox cases typically increase annually from february to june. This period also coincides with many families planning summer vacations, students taking breaks, and a surge in demand for travel, summer camps, study abroad programs, business trips, competitions, or international tourism.

The chickenpox virus spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or through direct contact with fluid from the characteristic blisters. An individual with chickenpox can transmit the virus to others from one to two days before the rash appears until all skin lesions have scabbed over. Therefore, the disease can spread before the infected person realizes they have it.

Approximately 90% of non-immune individuals are at risk of contracting the disease if they have close contact with an infected source. One person with chickenpox can infect many others who have never had the disease or have not been vaccinated, especially in enclosed spaces such as classrooms, offices, public transportation, airports, hotels, entertainment areas, or tour groups.

The disease typically begins with fever, fatigue, body aches, and loss of appetite, followed by the appearance of small red spots on the skin. These spots rapidly progress into fluid-filled blisters, which can become pus-filled and eventually scab over. Rashes often emerge in waves over several days, resulting in various types of lesions present on the skin simultaneously.

Most chickenpox cases resolve with proper care. However, the disease is not always mild. If blisters are scratched open, skin hygiene is inadequate, or the patient has a weakened immune system, bacteria can enter, leading to skin infections or sepsis. Some cases may develop complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis, meningitis, respiratory failure, blood clotting disorders, and even multi-organ failure.

A girl receives the chickenpox vaccine at VNVC Vaccination System. Photo: Moc Thao

Pregnant women contracting chickenpox are a group requiring particular caution due to the risk of more severe progression and potential impact on the pregnancy. Those planning to conceive should check their immune status and get vaccinated before pregnancy, following a doctor's advice.

Doctor Nga recommends that individuals planning to travel, work, study abroad, compete, or attend events overseas should review their vaccination history before their trip. If they have never had chickenpox or have not received sufficient vaccine doses, they should seek early consultation at a vaccination facility to allow their body time to develop antibodies.

Two doses of the chickenpox vaccine are typically recommended to enhance disease prevention effectiveness and reduce the risk of severe complications. In Vietnam, various chickenpox vaccines are available, administered to children from 9 months or 12 months of age, depending on the type. A 4-in-1 combination vaccine can also protect against measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox, and is administered from 12 months of age.

Doctor Nga added that after recovering from chickenpox, the Varicella Zoster virus does not completely disappear but can remain dormant in nerve ganglia. Years later, when immunity declines or with advanced age, the virus can reactivate, causing shingles. Individuals 50 years and older or those 18 years old with underlying health conditions causing immunosuppression should discuss the shingles vaccine with a doctor to reduce the risk of developing the disease and post-herpetic neuralgia complications.

Gia Nhi