Doctor queries vaccine's benefits

9th September 2008

Dr Gaston Boulanger shows the appropriate vaccine for chickenpox which has infected a high number of people in recent weeks

AS A chickenpox "explosion'' runs through the Boyne Tannum region, a local doctor has questioned the efficacy of the chickenpox vaccine after treating three immunised children with the disease in just a week.

Gaston Boulanger diagnosed the disease in three young children who had received vaccinations at 18 months of age.

"In spite of the vaccination the children still have chickenpox,'' Dr Boulanger said.

"And they have a normal dose, really covered with the pox.

"It was definitely chickenpox because I did swabs on the kids.''

Dr Boulanger said he'd notified the government of the three cases.

"It may be that this is just a coincidence,'' he said.

"But three is a big number in a small community area.

"I think maybe we should find out; if it (the immunisation) doesn't work, should we be giving the needle?

"The needle is given at 18 months and it is an extra needle,'' he said.

"It's not given with the usual injections.

"I'd be interested to find out from the immunisation people how good this vaccination is.''

Dr Boulanger said chickenpox was usually a mild disease which "all kids get'': "It's very rare that it can have complications.''

A Population Health spokesperson said the chickenpox vaccine offered a high level of protection, but "mild disease can occasionally occur in vaccinated children''.

But for Boyne Island woman Jessica Cahill, the simple childhood disease turned out to be a bit more complicated.

Jess was diagnosed with chickenpox last Tuesday after lumps on her scalp spread to her face, neck and back.

Along with the usual discomfort and irritation, the disease also played havoc with her diabetes.

Jess has been a type 1 diabetic insulin dependent since the age of 8 and has to inject insulin five times a day.

"My blood sugar levels were up and down,'' she said.

"I had a pretty bad day on Friday. I couldn't get my blood sugar levels down.

"My whole body ached and I don't think I moved from the couch for a couple of days."

Jess said the illness started on Monday with lumps appearing on her scalp.

"On Monday night I had a fever and that lasted all day Tuesday.

"Wednesday was the worst day,'' she said.

"I was pretty sick that day. I was itchy and vomiting.

"I haven't been able to brush my hair in a week, my head was too sore and I've got chickenpox in my mouth, in my throat, my ears even in my belly button."

Because of the diabetes her doctor prescribed an expensive anti-viral agent to prevent complications rare in the majority of the population.

"My immune system is not as high as everyone else's," she said.

"If I didn't have diabetes I wouldn't have worried about it.

"But the tablets cost $145."

The 20-year-old teaching student has also taken two weeks off her university studies.

"One of my teachers is doing chemo so you've got to be careful around people with low immune systems," she said.

The chickenpox outbreak has also hit local schools with children falling prey to the disease progressively over the last two months.

"Quite a few kids have got chickenpox," a spokeswoman at one school said.

"We just sent a child home this morning with chickenpox."

The spokeswoman said immunisation seemed to be no protection: "If you think you can't get it because you've been immunised think again."