Peabody investigating chicken pox outbreak in schools

PEABODY-A recent outbreak of chicken pox had Peabody nurses itching for answers earlier this month.On Nov. 13, the Health Department received a call that eight cases of chicken pox had been reported at one of the city?s eight elementary schools. By Nov. 15, the total had increased to 14.Peabody Public Health Nurse Chassea Golden Robinson said the department immediately got the names involved in each reported case and contacted their pediatrician to confirm the diagnosis.?We think the first case was on Nov.1 and the peak of all cases was on Nov. 13,” said Public Health Director Sharon Cameron. “From Nov. 1 through Nov. 9, there was a lag.”Cameron said that the incubation period for the common childhood disease is typically 10-21 days, which would explain the lack of cases at the beginning of the month, and the great jump in cases by the end of the month.?It looks like they were connected,” said Cameron.School nurses verified that the children had been immunized as required by the district, however, Cameron said it?s not unusual for them to experience a breakthrough.?It can happen in up to 20 percent of the vaccinated population,” she said, referencing reports from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.Because of their vaccination history, the students involved experienced only a minor case. Cameron said there were no complications or hospitalizations, and the students have all since returned to school.?Unfortunately, with some of these, children are contagious prior to the onset of recognizable symptoms,” said Cameron. “Look out for things like fever, changing patterns of behavior, appetite loss?Parents know their kids and know when something?s not right.”Cameron said that the school system and the city?s health department both handled the situation smoothly. She credits the district?s strict rules of requiring proof of immunization when a new child enrolls and when new staff members are hired.?We were very quickly able to go through those records to identify who might be at risk and take precautions to prevent the spread of the disease in the community,” she said. “We are very fortunate that the school had procedures in place.”Robinson said that no new cases have been reported in the last week. The health department will be looking for new cases during two incubation periods, or 42 days, and monitoring the schools carefully. She asks that anyone who knows about a new case of chicken pox within the school system contact the health department as soon as possible.