126% increase in hospitalisations from chickenpox

New research shows a 126 per cent increase in hospitalisations from chickenpox in Ireland in the last year.

A report on Infectious Disease Notifications from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre in 2023 shows that there were 170 hospitalisations for Chickenpox last year, compared to to 75 hospitalisations in 2022.

There are around 58,000 cases of Chickenpox each year in Ireland, with approximately 1 in every 250 cases of the disease needing hospitalisation.

Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV).

It can cause an itchy, blister-like rash. Chickenpox is usually a mild disease but can also be serious, especially in babies, adolescents, adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems.

Speaking about Chickenpox, spokesperson Dr Niall Conroy, Adjunct Professor of Public Health, University College Cork School of Public Health, said: “Last year in Ireland, we encountered a significant increase in the number of children who were hospitalised with chickenpox.

"In fact, the Health Protection and Surveillance Centre (HPSC), reported a 126% increase in hospitalisations because of chickenpox from 2022 to 2023.

"This represents a concerning trend amidst recent outbreaks of other preventable diseases like measles, which should provide us with a timely warning that we should be taking preventable diseases, like chickenpox, seriously. Chickenpox is highly contagious. Whilst it is usually a mild disease, there can be serious complications.

"I would urge any parent to get the facts about chickenpox and speak with a healthcare professional to get all the information they need about protecting children against preventable diseases.”