When can a child with varicella return to school?

A child with varicella, commonly known as chickenpox, can return to school when all lesions are completely healed. This ensures that the child is no longer infectious and that the risk of spreading the virus to other children is minimized. The lesions start as small red spots that develop into fluid-filled blisters, which then crust over. Once every lesion has fully healed—meaning the blisters have scabbed over and no new lesions are forming—the child is no longer considered contagious.

Other criteria, such as being fever-free for a set period, are not sufficient on their own for returning to school, as the primary concern is the healing of the skin lesions. Additionally, varicella is a viral infection, so antibiotic treatment is not relevant to the return-to-school policy. The focus must, therefore, be on the healing of lesions as a marker of recovery and non-contagious status.