Cases of chicken pox on the rise
Gold Coast Primary Health Network's Dr Roger Halliwell says varicella cases have risen on the back of a fall in immunisation rates due to COVID-19
Doctors in Queensland are reporting an upswing in chicken pox following a fall in immunisation uptake on the back of COVID-19.
Overall, varicella notifications are up, with urban areas in the south including the Gold Coast reporting an even greater spike, state data reveals.
Queensland Health figures show 6267 cases of varicella across the state this year so far, compared with the five-year mean of 5343 for the same period.
On the Gold Coast there have been 817 cases this year, compared with a five-year mean of 634 cases.
