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Original poster

Chicken pox on holiday - what are our options

22 replies

Poxoff · 12/10/2018 21:50

We're on holiday in Europe. DC1 3.5yo has come out in classic chicken pox spots today. We also have DC2 8mths old. We're meant to be flying elsewhere in Europe middle of next week for further holiday.

What should we do now? I assume the spots will crust over sometime next week and then we can travel, either onwards to next part of holiday or home. BUT the baby will presumably get it at some point in next two weeks, and therefore be contagious. Can they travel? When can we fly or get train again as a family? Should we drive back to the UK somehow to avoid spreading the pox in public places?

Please help me work out our travel options so we don't have to stay here for the next 2-3 weeks with ill children.

OP posts:

Jackshouse · 12/10/2018 21:52

You will need to get a fit to fly letter to the child that has CP. The other child will probably get it but that is not for certain.

If you end up in a situation where you have to extend your stay your insurance company may only cover one parent to stay.

stroan · 12/10/2018 21:55

We recently went on holiday during a chicken pox outbreak at nursery and I looked into this a lot!

Most airlines say you can’t fly until 7 days after the last spot crusted over but more seem to let you fly with a doctors note.

I would probably be tempted to call my insurance, explain and find out what would be covered. Ours said that had we got stuck in Barcelona, we’d be covered for up to £5000 of extra expenses for accommodation/expenses. Worth checking if they would cover anything if you had to abandon the rest of your holiday.

Banananananananaaaa · 12/10/2018 21:55

Poor you, what a nightmare. If you're lucky by the middle of next week your DC might have crusted over and be good to go. And your youngest may not get CP for weeks if at all. My 2 have had it recently and eldest didn't get spots until several weeks after youngest. Fingers x for you.

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FreshEyre · 12/10/2018 21:57

Right now I think you just need to sit tight and see what happens.

You can't fly/train until DD1 has spots that have crusted over so that means staying put for the next week or so. No way of knowing whether DD2 will get it (but seems likely).

I would contact your insurance company if necessary and then make tentative plans based on being able to travel in a week or staying put if DD2 catches it.

I guess if you needed to get home you could hire a car and drive back to the UK. Depends on where you are and how easy it is to enjoy a holiday whilst staying away from others.

Good luck

NearlySchoolTimeAgain · 12/10/2018 21:58

Is your baby BF? If so they will potentially have some immunity from CP.

Original poster

Poxoff · 12/10/2018 22:19

Thanks all. I didn't know that about the breastfeeding, interesting. So sounds like we're here for a week at leaat, riding it out with DC1, then, unless baby develops symptoms in that time, we should be able to travel home somehow, by car or train if not flying. I'll look at the insurance. I've been in denial most of the day and even tried to argue with the pharmacist, but the itching has started this evening...

OP posts:

Original poster

Poxoff · 12/10/2018 22:24

But I'm confused, if the baby is incubating it (which we don't know) aren't they contagious? Or is it only contagious once the spots come out?

OP posts:

Original poster

Poxoff · 12/10/2018 22:26

I think we'll definitely go home as soon as we can, I don't fancy still being away from home if/when the baby gets it, if we can possibly avoid it

OP posts:

Ktay · 12/10/2018 22:36

You’re contagious from a couple of days before the onset of spots I believe.

I’ve been in this situation - DD2 came down with CP just as we arrived in Austria for a long weekend. My parents met us in Calais and drove us home on the Eurotunnel (with everyone safely quarantined in the car. Don’t know what we did about the open window rule looking back) while DH drove the hire car back to closest option in Germany then flew home.

The DDs had been exposed to CP just before a holiday two years before that. We got DD1 vaccinated as apparently that can ward off a full-blown outbreak if you get in early enough. But not really an option for babies - I think we also worked on assumption that DD2 was immune because of BF and she didn’t come down with it (was 4mo at the time).

LexieLulu · 12/10/2018 22:37

Be careful flying with chicken pox, not for you or your children but for others on the flight

MissSmiley · 12/10/2018 22:38

Good idea to go home in case baby gets it, anecdotally but confirmed by my GP also siblings can intensify the CP and second or third child gets it worse that the first one infected, happened with three of mine one summer and the last one to get it was really poorly still getting new spots on day 9, hopefully won't happen to you

Original poster

Poxoff · 12/10/2018 22:44

Yes I know Lexie, I don't want to spread it around. I'm leaning towards a driving option, which might take us a couple of days, just have to think through the logistics. Thanks for sharing your experience Ktay, I wonder if my dad would drive to France for us, he does enjoy a crisis.

OP posts:

letsgetreadytosamba · 12/10/2018 22:48

thank you for being so considerate. So many people are not. I’ve no immunity to CP (stem cell transplants) so really appreciate it when people think things like this through!

Ohb0llocks · 12/10/2018 22:56

My breastfed DS caught it from his big brother at around 7 months so definitely not a 'shield' so to speak. He had it much much worse than his older brother and ended up on v strong antibiotics too.

I would work on the assumption you will be able to fly in around 8 days or so. It was around 10 days ish give or take from DS1's first spot to the babies first spot

littledinaco · 13/10/2018 08:01

But I'm confused, if the baby is incubating it (which we don't know) aren't they contagious? Or is it only contagious once the spots come out?
Baby would be contagious before the spots come out but they may not get it at all or you could have a period of a week or more inbetween. So you could wait in quarantine with the baby for say 2 weeks then think you are safe and come back then baby gets spots next day and was infectious after all!

I think even with the driving, you will still need to take DC into services for food/changing/toilet etc won’t you but maybe not as risky as flight I don’t think?

angelopal · 13/10/2018 08:06

We had exactly 2 weeks from DC1 getting it to 8 month old coming out in spots. Neither had it really bad but were miserable with the itching for about 3 days.

averythinline · 13/10/2018 08:15

Ds got it at 9 months even though bf but was v v mild....as were most of the bf I knew bug we may have been lucky he was 4th in the known infection chain !

Get ready to boost up the bf as he dropped all non bf food for a couple of days...
Wouldn't want to fly ...how about sleeper train back...you get your own compartment.. to Paris then your dad could get there.. much easier than sorting out car hire Accross different countries..
Under 4 are free

feesh · 13/10/2018 08:15

Can you get the baby vaccinated ASAP? I live overseas and our babies have the Varicella vaccine as a routine part of their vaccinations. Try the local clinic.

SweetheartNeckline · 13/10/2018 08:19

As PP said look into vaccinating baby now? Studies show vaccine effective at preventing or reducing CP if given up to 5 days after exposure. In UK vaccine can't be given until 12mo though - think it's given earlier elsewhere.

Original poster

Poxoff · 13/10/2018 12:17

Ah thanks will look in to vaccine for baby

OP posts:

BeautifulPossibilities · 13/10/2018 14:12

If baby gets the vaccine now it could well stop it. Vaccine is available in lots of counties (including the U.K.) so you should be able to find it fairly easily.

Witchend · 13/10/2018 14:43

Fully breastfed dd2 caught it from dd1 (who had it mildly) and had it really badly at 6 months old.

OTOH when I was 3yo dsis got it, at various points my friends got it, and I didn't catch it from any of them.
Instead I got it aged 20, at university and no one else did.

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