Should I use this page, or skip it?
Use this page if itchy spots look like chickenpox and you need home care, school rules, and who must get advice. Skip it and call 999 if they are struggling to breathe, having a fit, or unresponsive. Use 111 the same day if you are pregnant or a newborn has been exposed.
If you are not sure it is chickenpox, see rashes in children.
What is chickenpox and what does it feel like?
Chickenpox is a highly infectious illness caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It often starts with feeling unwell and a temperature, then an itchy rash that goes from spots to fluid-filled blisters to scabs. Spots can be anywhere, including the mouth and scalp. New spots can appear in batches.
The same virus can later cause shingles.
How should I look after it at home?
Offer fluids, rest, cool baths and loose clothes. Paracetamol can ease fever — follow the pack. Do not use ibuprofen unless a doctor says otherwise. Do not give aspirin to children under 16. Keep nails short. A pharmacist can suggest cooling gels or an antihistamine for itch.
Find a GPhC-registered pharmacy on Pick My Pharmacy. Do not go near newborn babies, pregnant people who may not have had chickenpox, or anyone with a weakened immune system.
When can they go back to school?
NHS advice is to stay off school, nursery or work until all the spots have formed a scab. That is usually about five days after spots first appeared, but the test is crusted spots, not the calendar. You can spread chickenpox from about two days before spots appear until they have all scabbed.
Tell the setting so pregnant staff and vulnerable families can take advice.
When is it 111 or 999?
Use 111 if skin around blisters is red, hot or painful, they cannot drink, wet nappies have dropped, they are more short of breath than usual, or you are pregnant or immunocompromised and have been exposed. Call 999 for breathing difficulty, a fit, unresponsiveness, or a rash that does not fade under a glass.
In England, Scotland and Wales call 111 (NHS 24 in Scotland). In Northern Ireland there is no general 111 — use GP out-of-hours on nidirect. See pharmacy, GP, 111 or A&E if you are stuck on the door.
Who is at higher risk from chickenpox?
Adults, pregnant people, newborn babies and anyone with a weakened immune system are at higher risk of complications and should get advice promptly after symptoms or contact. Do not wait for every spot to appear. Some people may be offered medicine that needs to be started early.
NHS childhood immunisation now includes chickenpox protection for eligible children. Ask your GP or health visitor what applies now rather than relying on older not-routine advice. The same virus can later cause shingles if it reactivates.
How can I soothe chickenpox itch?
Cool baths, loose clothes, and cooling gels from a pharmacy can help. A pharmacist may suggest an antihistamine for itch. Paracetamol eases fever — follow the pack. Do not use ibuprofen unless a doctor advises it. Do not give aspirin to children under 16. Keep nails short to reduce scarring.
Mittens or socks on toddler hands at night can reduce scratching. If the mouth is full of spots, ice lollies can help them drink. Get same-day advice if scratching makes the skin hot, red and painful, or they cannot take fluids.
Do not share towels, flannels, bedding or baths with a newborn or a pregnant person in the house until every spot has crusted over completely, if you can keep them apart.
Who should skip this page?
Skip this page if breathing, a fit, or unresponsiveness is already happening — call 999. It is not a shingles page for a one-sided adult rash, not a measles check, and not a substitute for 111 when a pregnant person or newborn has been exposed. A baby with fever still needs the children’s fever pathway.
Common questions about chickenpox
- How long does chickenpox last?
- Spots often appear one to three weeks after contact. New spots can keep coming for several days. Most children feel better within one to two weeks once spots scab. You stay infectious until every blister has crusted — NHS advice is that this is usually about five days after spots first appeared.
- When can my child go back to school?
- Stay off school, nursery or work until all the spots have formed a scab. That is the NHS rule, not a school preference. They can still feel itchy after they are no longer infectious. Tell the setting so pregnant staff and vulnerable families can be warned.
- How can I soothe the itch?
- Cool baths, loose clothes, and cooling gels from a pharmacy can help. A pharmacist may suggest an antihistamine for itch. Paracetamol eases fever — follow the pack. Do not use ibuprofen unless a doctor advises it. Do not give aspirin to children under 16. Keep nails short to reduce scarring.
- Can adults get chickenpox?
- Yes. It is more common in children but can be more severe in adults. Adults with symptoms should contact a GP or 111. If you have never had chickenpox and are exposed — especially if you are pregnant or have a weakened immune system — get advice promptly rather than waiting for spots.
- Is there a chickenpox vaccine?
- Yes. NHS childhood immunisation now includes chickenpox protection as part of a combined vaccine for eligible children. Some people are also offered vaccination if they live with someone at high risk. Ask your GP or health visitor what applies now rather than relying on older 'not routine' advice.
- Can chickenpox cause shingles later?
- The virus stays in the body after chickenpox and can reactivate years later as shingles. That is not a second bout of chickenpox. Someone with shingles can still give chickenpox to a person who has never had it while blisters are wet. See the shingles page if a one-sided painful rash appears in adulthood.