Doctor explained whether it's possible to get chickenpox a second time

It is possible to contract chickenpox again if a person's immune system is weakened - for example, after chemotherapy or while taking immunosuppressive drugs.

As reported by BAKU.WS with reference to The Conversation, this was explained by Archana Koirala, an infectious disease specialist and clinical researcher at the University of Sydney.

According to her, chickenpox (varicella) is transmitted through airborne droplets - when coughing, sneezing, or talking - as well as through contact with affected skin. Up to 90% of people without immunity who are near an infected person become infected.

The illness begins with fever, fatigue, runny nose, and cough. After three to four days, a rash appears in the form of fluid-filled blisters. Symptoms appear two to three weeks after contact with an infected person. In children, the disease usually has a mild course, whereas in adults and people with weakened immune systems, it can cause severe complications.

Koirala emphasized that after recovery, the virus remains dormant in the body - in nerve cells. Later, during stress or weakened immunity, it can activate and cause shingles, accompanied by a painful rash and prolonged nerve pain.

The expert added that reinfection in healthy people is practically impossible, as stable immunity is formed after the disease. However, the risk increases in patients taking immunosuppressive drugs or those who have recently undergone chemotherapy.

She also reminded that the chickenpox vaccine contains a weakened form of the virus that does not cause the disease but forms reliable protection against reinfection.