Chickenpox in adults

Having chickenpox in adulthood can cause severe reactions and complications that, although rare, may be potentially fatal.

THE news of US journalist Barbara Walters’ hospitalisation a few months ago due to chickenpox was a shock to many. As Walters never contracted chickenpox as a child, she was at higher risk for developing severe symptoms and complications, including pneumonia, which is the main cause of death in adults with chickenpox.