To hunt down these bastards who exposed my son to chicken pox

People didn't deliberately expose their children to CP because of a belief it was fun or just for the heck of it.

It was done so that they would get the virus as children and not suffer the very severe illness that can present in adults.

They weren't idiots keeping up with the Joneses. They did it because it was the only way to avoid the risks that come with adult exposure.

I took most of my kids to a CP party before vaccines were available. The youngest was born after 1998 and was vaccinated.

My DCs were also vaccinated against rubella so that no other people would experience a disaster like the one you mentioned. One such incident is one too many as far as I'm concerned.

I'm sorry to say it different to some other comments, but chicken pox is once per liftime, a child should have it as soon as possible and it is good he finally got it done, imagine he would get it later in life it could be really really bad and leave scars. I appreciate it is uncomfortable, but it is good it is done.

You don’t get shingles if you’ve never had chicken pox. The virus lies dormant in your system and emerges again later.

You probably got exposed to a very low viral load (for example, breathing in a tiny amount of virus at a playground or something while outside), and your immune system was able to mount a response very quickly, resulting in a very mild infection - perhaps your parents thought it was a heat rash or hand, foot and mouth etc.

Viral load matters quite a lot with chicken pox, it is the reason why cases generally get more severe as they "move through" a house with several siblings in it. By the time you get to the third or fourth kid, the poor kid has been breathing in a heavy fog of virus being emitted by all the other kids, meaning their immune system gets overwhelmed before it has a chance to mount a response, resulting in a bad case. These are often the kids who get scarred, although it also depends on your own dermatological characteristics. Scarring was a big reason for not wanting my kids to go through it. A friend forgot the vaccine and her son has some noticeable pockmarks.

My kids both got the "super-mild" version of CP a few years after the vaccine, where they got a few tiny spots, so I am confident their overall immunity is very solid. I don't think the CP vaccine is completely stopping the circulation of the virus, but it is preventing the bad cases where kids get crusty and gross and often wind up with pockmarks.

I find it strange the way people overreact to what were classed as childhood illnesses in my day when parents set out to make their child catch them. I know only two people who suffered complications. One was indirect as his mother caught Rubella whilst pregnant and he lost both his sight and hearing in his early teens. He was subsequently put in a 1980's mental hospital and died, I believe. of neglect. The other got mumps late in life. He lost all, his hair everywhere and became gender neutral. However, with Covid five people I knew died and only one was over 50! Others had long term complications with two ongoing three years later! Yet after the first few months people were very careless about masks, distancing, etc. Life will always have risks. I rode motorbikes for decades with many friends saying it was too dangerous. I gave it up when the children were young but resumed when they went to university. At over 70 I tend to use my Harley mainly in good weather. The weather does not really bother me more the numerous morons driving cars. Though I am getting on I can honestly say I think there are too many elderly drivers who should not be driving!

Yeah but you attended those parties through choice. What those awful parents at the caravan did was take away the other parents choice and spread it around, whether they liked it or not

You're right that it's not a compulsory vaccine. Many people don't know about it or can't afford it. You're wrong that it's better for kids not to have it.

Blinkin’ heck @BoreOfWhabylon , what an incredibly sobering thread. CP can go to the brain and cause swelling. What a harrowing experience.

I genuinely bow to your superior knowledge but my mom is adamant I never had it. To my knowledge my DDs have never had it. It must’ve been mild like Covid was for some who didn’t know that they had it while others were so ill. I know CP can be nasty.

My dc are in their 20s now.

I know what you mean, I had it at 39, I ended up with a chest infection, was covered in spots and several became infected. I have never felt as ill as I did then. A few months later my brother caught it and was also very ill.

It's bad timing school wise but at least he's getting it out the way as I think they say 13 onwards is not good. Both mine had it this year, eldest is 9 and she was worst hit.
Surprised so many have jumped in about the vaccine as I don't think it's common to get vaccinated. It wasn't even on my radar.

Hmm lots of ppl are suggesting why you didn't get your son vaccinated it is not a compulsory vaccine and almost always better that kids are not vaccinated against chickenpox...no?

You are only immune to chicken pox once you’ve had it or had the vaccine. So if you have tested positive for immunity then you have had it and you (or your parents) don’t remember. You can’t be immune to a virus you have never had! Natural immunity means that you have been infected in the past.
How old are you daughters? If my kids hadn’t had it I would be worried as they got into their teens that they would catch it and be very very ill.

I had CP for the first time in my life at the age of 30 and I have never felt as ill before or since. It is shit timing for your son but reassure him that having it as an adult is far worse. Covid was a doddle compared to chickenpox.

Depending on which country he was born in he may have only got one dose (Australia for eg only include one dose on the standard schedule). That's because one dose is enough when you have high levels of vaccination to keep the rate of infection incredibly low. However in country with very low rates of vaccination (ie the UK) they recommend 2 doses.

Whenever the subject of chicken pox comes up, I always think of this thread from a few years ago
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/childrens_health/1649084-DS-still-asleep-what-to-do?reply=58406493

In what way is understanding that not everyone can afford £150 per child for a vaccination, ‘naive’?!

I was allergic to the whooping cough vaccine as a baby so never had the second dose. I did catch whooping cough as a teen and then as an adult I’ve had several nasty county with very similar symptoms.

I agree that the people who spread it to you on this occasion were highly responsible. Mostly it’s passed on unknowingly before symptoms appear such as the spots, and most sensible people follow the rules to quarantine until the last spot has crusted over.

Hopefully your son will settle in quickly when he goes back eventually. I agrees that y7 is full of fluid friendships. My DD just started y8 and the kids she made friends with this time last year aren’t even on her radar anymore. She’s been through quite a few combinations of friends which seems totally natural.

They probably didn’t send an infectious child to nursery knowingly. They are infectious before the spots come out. My daughter caught them from her half sister. She had been with her the week or 2 before the sister got the spots so there was no way of preventing them getting together as no one was expecting them. 3 weeks to the day of my daughter being with her sister and my daughter had them. Her spots came out one evening after she had done her Xmas play at school. Most of the class then had them over the Xmas holidays. But we hadn’t sent her in knowingly. There was no guarantee she hold catch them off her sister and by the time her sister came out in spots my daughter was likely contagious and mixing.

@Rocksaltrita you still get chicken pox if vaccinated. A milder from. That's the case with most vaccines.

What is mean, is having children and not getting them vaccinated - having multiple children unvaccinated means they could all come down with it. Don't be so naive

@StolenChanel

"Am I the only one who didn’t know a chickenpox vaccine even existed…?"

After my eldest was hospitalised with CP aged 3, I made sure my other children were vaccinated.

Interestingly the CP vaccine has existed for 40 years.

I don't agree-anyone in the supermarket, on a train, on a plane etc could have it... people don't quarantine for most things anymore ;Covid was the nail in that coffin). If it wasn't that little boy who passed it on, it could be anyone else carrying the virus, literally anywhere. I feel sorry for OPs son, but he would have caught it sooner or later.

That only 10% of children are vaccinated against CP is truly shocking!

Even more so when you consider that 35% of children received the Covid jab where CP is a much bigger risk to children than Covid is. I understand that some will be unable to afford the £150 for the CP vaccine but surely more than 10% can afford it.

Most people i know have had their children vaccinated against CP but admittedly a large number of those are non UK nationals.

He cant go all his life without catching chicken pox. I wanted my kids to catch it when they were younger, better then, than when they are older. Build up an immune system. He was bound to be exposed to it at some point.