Michigan Chickenpox Cases On The Rise

According to Mlive, preliminary numbers released earlier this week by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services show chickenpox cases were up this year compared with the same time as last year. And when they say "up", they really mean it...because there have been 239 cases reported through April of this year and that's up roughly 57% from the same time in 2015.

The department is encouraging parents to make sure that their children are current on chickenpox vaccination. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says anyone born after 1980 who hasn't had chickenpox should also get the two-dose vaccine. Also, adolescents and adults are at higher risk for a serious case, as are people with weakened immune systems because of illness or medications. You can find out more by clicking here.

• Listen to Banana Don & Stephanie McCoy weekday mornings from 5:30a-10a on 100.7 WITL.
• Follow Stephanie on Facebook at facebook.com/bananastephanie and facebook.com/WITLFM on Twitter @WITLMcCoy.
• Email Stephanie at stephanie.mccoy@townsquaremedia.com