Chickenpox on the rise: number of sick children growing in Almaty

Tengrinews.kz – Almaty has reported a sharp increase in chickenpox cases, particularly among children.

According to Yerzhan Seralin, Director of the Almaty City Children's Infectious Diseases Hospital, the incidence of chickenpox has risen by 38.8 percent over the first nine months of 2025. During this period, 183 children with varying degrees of illness were hospitalized, while the number of complicated cases increased by 40.9 percent compared to last year.

Among the complications, doctors note damage to the central nervous system and respiratory tract. More than 60 percent of those infected are preschool and primary school children.

Seralin emphasized that since chickenpox vaccination is not part of Kazakhstan’s National Immunization Schedule, herd immunity develops only through recovery after infection.

A rise in chickenpox incidence has been recorded across Kazakhstan as well. According to the Committee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Control under the Ministry of Health, more than 30,000 cases have been registered since the beginning of the year, 85 percent (25,815 cases) of which involve children under 14.

Last year, 22,607 cases were reported — a 32 percent increase year-over-year.

Health officials urge parents to take preventive measures, avoid contact with infected individuals, and seek medical care at the first symptoms — rash, fever, and weakness.

Earlier, the World Health Organization (WHO) also warned of a heightened risk of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) spread this year, underscoring the need for increased vigilance regarding infectious diseases.