Chickenpox (varicella) in children: Everything you need to know about symptoms, causes and treatment
Dr. med. Christine Stettner
April 9, 2026
5 min
Chickenpox (varicella) is one of the most common childhood diseases and is highly contagious. In most cases, they are mild in healthy children, but can cause severe itching and discomfort. In this article, Dr Christine Stettner explains how chickenpox is transmitted, what the typical symptoms are, how the disease progresses and what measures can be taken to alleviate the symptoms.
What are the causes of chickenpox and how is the disease transmitted?
Chickenpox (varicella) is a highly contagious childhood disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It occurs throughout the year in Switzerland. Virtually the entire adult population (98 per cent) has antibodies against the virus, so has already had the disease in childhood. Chickenpox is usually harmless in healthy children, but can lead to shingles (herpes zoster) later in life.
What are the symptoms of chickenpox and how does the disease progress?
The viruses are very easily transmitted from person to person through respiratory droplets in the air, hence the name "chickenpox". In the case of a chickenpox rash, the vesicle fluid is also infectious. Chickenpox usually occurs in childhood as an unpleasant but generally mild and benign illness. An infected person is contagious from two days before the rash appears until the last blisters have turned into crusts.
How is chickenpox treated and what measures are taken to alleviate the symptoms?
Treatment is primarily aimed at the itching. On the one hand, children are given antihistamines in the form of droplets or tablets. In addition, the blisters can be treated locally with shaking mixtures such as Tanno-Hermal, which relieve the itching, dry out the blisters and thus also prevent scarring. Paracetamol is mainly used to reduce fever.
Since 2023, vaccination against chickenpox has been recommended in Switzerland as a basic vaccination for all infants aged 9 and 12 months. The vaccination is usually carried out with a combined vaccine that protects against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV).
In addition, a booster vaccination (one or two doses) against varicella is recommended for all children, adolescents and adults aged between 13 months and 39 years (i.e. up to their 40th birthday) who have not yet contracted varicella and have not yet received a total of two vaccine doses.
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