Parents are advised that consent forms and information on the new chickenpox vaccine will be going home this week with all children in grades one to six in PEI schools.
Children in these grades who have not had the chickenpox will soon be offered the vaccine in school clinics.
The vaccine will be provided by public health nurses at clinics in the schools beginning in Kings County on February 23, followed by Prince County and then Queens County schools. The clinics will be completed by the end of April. The exact dates of the school clinics will be advertised in local newspapers prior to the clinic days.
There will be no charge to receive the vaccine.
"These are one time clinics for this vaccine which will not be offered in the schools again," said Dr. Lamont Sweet, Chief Health Officer. "Adults often become sicker when they get chickenpox than children do; therefore, it is important that children who have not had chickenpox obtain protection from this disease before they become adults," he said.
Chickenpox results in complications in one in 20 people who become ill with the disease and can result in birth defects if a mother catches the illness during pregnancy.
The fact sheets going home this week will outline the benefits and possible side effects of the vaccine. Parents are required to complete a consent form for their children to be immunized.