Angelina Jolie Has Chickenpox!

This hasn’t been Angelina Jolie‘s week.

First, she’s a victim of the Sony hacking scandal: Emails from producer Scott Rudin to Sony Pictures co-chair Amy Pascal called her a “minimally talented spoiled brat.”

Then, her directorial debut and labor of love project, Unbroken, was snubbed by the Golden Globes.

And now, Jolie has to cancel her participation in a variety of Unbroken events because she’s come down with chickenpox!

“I just wanted to be clear and honest about why I would be missing the Unbroken events in the next few days, which is that I found out last night that I have chicken pox. So, I will be home itching and missing everyone and I can’t believe it because this film means so much to me. I just can’t believe it, but such is life. There it is. Send everyone my love and I hope everything goes well!”

“You have to laugh at the timing. I was sure nothing could stop me from supporting Unbroken. I am heartbroken to miss our premiere, most of all the chance to be there with Louie’s family, Phil’s daughter Karen, veterans and all the guests who are coming.”

25 Things to Know about Chickenpox

1. Chickenpox is a very contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV).

2. Most cases occur in children under age 15 but older children and adults can get it.

3. Symptoms include an uncomfortable, itchy rash, fever and headache. The rash is like blisters and usually appears on the face, scalp or trunk.

4. The disease is usually mild and lasts 5 to 10 days, but it sometimes causes serious problems (see #11).

5. Adults and older children tend to get sicker from it.

6. Chickenpox spreads in the air through coughing or sneezing. It can also be spread by touching or breathing in the virus particles that come from chickenpox blisters.

7. A person with chickenpox can spread the disease from 1 to 2 days before they get the rash until all their chickenpox blisters have formed scabs.

8. It takes from 10 to 21 days after exposure to a person with chickenpox or shingles for someone to develop chickenpox.

9. If a person vaccinated for chickenpox gets the disease, they can still spread it to others.

10. For most people, getting chickenpox once provides immunity for life. However, for a few people, they can get chickenpox more than once, although this is not common.

11. Serious complications from chickenpox include

• dehydration
• pneumonia
• bleeding problems
• infection or inflammation of the brain (encephalitis, cerebellar ataxia)
• bacterial infections of the skin and soft tissues in children including Group A streptococcal infections
• blood stream infections (sepsis)
• toxic shock syndrome
• bone infections
• joint infections

12. The best way to prevent chickenpox is to get the chickenpox vaccine.

13. Chickenpox vaccine is very safe and effective at preventing the disease. Most people who get the vaccine will not get chickenpox.

14. If a vaccinated person does get chickenpox, it is usually mild—with fewer blisters and mild or no fever. The chickenpox vaccine prevents almost all cases of severe disease.

15. CDC recommends two doses of chickenpox vaccine for children, adolescents, and adults. Two doses of the vaccine are about 98% effective at preventing chickenpox.

16. Before the vaccine, about 4 million people would get chickenpox each year in the United States. Also, about 10,600 people were hospitalized and 100 to 150 died each year as a result of chickenpox.

17. There are several things that can be done at home to help relieve the symptoms and prevent skin infections. Calamine lotion and colloidal oatmeal baths may help relieve some of the itching.

18. Keeping fingernails trimmed short may help prevent skin infections caused by scratching blisters.

19. Use non-aspirin medications, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, to relieve fever from chickenpox.

20. Do not use aspirin or aspirin-containing products to relieve fever from chickenpox. Use of aspirin with chickenpox has been linked to Reyes Syndrome.

21. Antiviral medications are recommended for people with chickenpox who are more likely to develop serious disease including

• otherwise healthy people older than 12 years of age
• people with chronic skin or lung disease
• people receiving steroid therapy
• some groups of pregnant women

22. Acyclovir, an antiviral medication, is licensed for treatment of chickenpox.

23. American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that certain groups at increased risk for moderate to severe varicella (see #22) be considered for oral acyclovir treatment.

24. For maximum benefit, oral acyclovir therapy should be given within the first 24 hours after the varicella rash starts.

25. Once you catch chickenpox, the virus usually stays in your body forever. You probably will not get chickenpox again, but the virus can cause shingles in adults.

Source: Centers for Disease Control