Chicken pox and flying

[Etak15]

Ok so we are the chicken pox house! Started just over a month ago with my dd (7) who didn't have too many spots was all over and done with back at school in a wk and scabs all gone, exactly 2 wks later 14/05 my other 2 dd's and ds all errupted in spots! We are off on hols flying on weds 27/05!! So thomas cooks chicken pox policy says: (I've summarised it a bit)children who have early signs of disease should not fly, once spots have scabbed are not infectious and fit to travel - usually 7 days'.
I have also read elsewhere that if you have recovered from infectious disease but still showing signs ie chicken pox scabs then you should have a note from gp.(although thomas cook don't specifically ask for one) The girls only have a few on there face and mostly on body, bum and surrounding areas etc all have scabbed early this wk, ds has them absolutely everywhere all over head face, body they also are all dry and scabbed but still very obvious looking.
So I know that none of them are contagious anymore but due to their appearance esp ds I am anticipating problems at the airport so I have an appointment on tues for all three at docs for fit to fly note - just in case we are asked. The problem is it has taken me all wk to try and get them an appt - the doctor kept trying to say it won't be necessary they will be past infectious stage I rang yesturday and they said will be fine spots will have faded by weds!! I insisted that they defo will not have faded esp ds, anyway I insisted and reluctantly they have given me appt but then nurse who I was speaking to said doc won't actually be able to write that they're not contagious will only be able to put for eg: mum says spots started in x date, etc I said well surely he can report on what he sees eg : all lesions crusted and dry etc, she said oh yes he can do that if the are. And surely a doctor can write 'in my opinion - blah blah blah'??
So all sounds very strange then when she actually made appointment i don't think it's the doctor she was actually taking advice off it was whoever she'd got us in with on tues. So my worries are now:
What if this doctor knows nothing about my previous million conversations and says he can't do a note ( not because there not fit to fly but just because he doesn't want to be the one to say it?)
And worried that if he does do a note but does specifically put 'not contagious' on it then it's of no use really?
So I'm after a bit of advice - has anyone had a fit to fly letter- what did it actually say on it?
I was thinking of drafting up what I want it to say and gently sugest that that's what they write?!!
For any gps on here is this a routine thing for someone to ask for ?because I feel that I've really had to struggle to get seen like I've asked for something totally out of the ordinary that's never been done in the history of medicine!!
I did expect that there would be a charge for this which I said I would be wiling to pay - as an nhs nurse myself I don't expect that my holiday worries comes before the health of others needing emergency appts etc that's why I tried to organise it last mon but I have been left dangling all wk! I think they thought I would go away!!
Anyway I'm rambling on now - any advice or previous experience of this prob anyone?

[Etak15]

Anyone??

[mousmous]

expect to pay for each note.
good luck!

[Etak15]

I don't mind paying as long as the doc writes what I want him too ha ha! I just wondered wether it was a standard form they use for this sort of thing or is literally just a letter. They never mentioned about fees on the phone although I had said when I first contacted that I would be willing to pay if it was a private service, it seemed like it was something they just didn't want to do at all which made me wonder is it a routine thing - I've seem loads of posts on here where people have said they got a fit to fly note from docs - sounded like a straightforward thing to do!

[strawberrytablecloth]

We've has this twice. I don't think there is a standard form as each doctor - one in England & one in another EU country - has just written them there & then. The letters said something along the lines of "spots last appeared on X date; child examined on Y date & all spots crusted over; child fit to fly according to current guidance". In neither case did the airline question whether the child was fit to fly despite DC2 having 25+ pox on his face alone.
Aren't current NICE guidelines five days since last spot appeared & no mention is made of crustiness.

[Etak15]

I've just had a look at nice guidelines say that 'the most infectious period is 1-2 days before the rash appears but infectivity (wow is that a real word?) continues until all the lesions have crusted over - commonly about 5-6 days after onset of illness.' Think I've seen somewhere else think it's health protection agency? That says 5 days too. So I know either way they are all now non contagious but don't want to have a drama at the airport! I'm hoping no-one will question us but hopefully will have the docs letter as my back up plan!

[kala20]

Hi i was just wonderin how you got on my son have chicken pox for 3 days now and we are due to fly on the 9th. Did you need the doctor letter

[Etak15]

Hi well thought I'd conclude my story! I got letters from doc for all 3 she was really good instead of doing 'fit to fly letter which would have cos £18 each she just wrote detailed consultation notes (including saying that they would be fine to fly and also printing off nhs info re infectious period) printed them off and stamped and signed them. No one noticed anything at the airport although by then it was only the baby who was really noticeably spotty!! (I did keep his hoody on though till halfway through the flight ??) so I didn't show the letters but was glad I had them for peace of mind and to know that the kids esp the baby as he's only 6 months were fit n well to travel.