Possible chicken pox on holiday

[Hmmmbop]

More a WWYD:

On holiday with 3mo and 3yo (and DH). Flight yesterday was cancelled due to strikes so we are already in a bit of a predicament. We have been given flights home tomorrow and are currently trying to entertain 2 kids in a shoe box hotel room in the middle of nowhere.

Yesterday 3yo came out in spots. The local Dr took a look (he happened to be at a local pharmacy) and cannot decide whether it's chicken pox or a reaction to mosquito bites (husband has also been bitten, I haven't). DS is under the weather but could also be over tired- we've had a lot of late nights.

Do we:

A) go back to a Dr for confirmation one way or the other and if it is CP stay in a hotel room for a week (DH would have to fly home alone due to starting a new job), so would be me alone with 2 small kids so would have to take 3yo to supermarket etc.

B) put long sleeve clothes and trousers on 3yo, presume it's mosquito bites and just get on the plane?

C) something else?

We have insurance but they won't cover lost earnings etc and we have to pay out and claim back.

If all the other kids are vaccinated, can’t he just go to kids club?

Might be worth getting the baby vaccinated if it isn’t too late.

If the baby is breast fed and you are immune, I thought the baby was unlikely to catch anything? Your immunity will temporarily protect them (up to a point).

They are no longer contagious once they have scabbed. Normally takes 5-7 days. You don't need an extra 7 days on top; that's pointless as they aren't contagious at that point anyway

I'm surprised that the kids club have said that they will take him. Vaccinated kids can still get the chicken pox, it just tends to be a mild infection without too many spots. It's happened to two kids in my DS's class.

The only airlines that fly from the local airport to mine are Jet 2 and easyJet. Both have a no longer contagious + 7 days policy- it's easily searched on the internet as I checked once I'd spoken to insurance.

I can't actually send him to kids club because he's too unwell to go. Plus I wouldn't as there may be unvaccinated kids there.

If all the other kids are vaccinated, can’t he just go to kids club?

He is not well. Why would OP send him to kids club

I meant send him once spots have scabbed and he is feeling better. Because he'll be better in a couple of days but you'll still have another week on the holiday park, might as well try to enjoy it.

DC2 is too young for the vaccine, even if I could find somewhere to get it here.

The nearest pharmacy is 15mins drive away so having to make do with oat baths but I'm running out of calpol so might have to make a trip to town, I'll see how he is tomorrow.

DH is considering driving to get us.

I've had chicken pox but I'm coming out in some suspicious looking spots and feel a bit ropey and my appetite has gone, I'm either coming down with it too or pregnant!

I was going to say OP that driving to collect you might be an option although it's a long way to drive. Could your DH fly to the nearest airport and hire a car to drive you home or have you explored that option already?

Sallycinnamum that was the first option we explored, but the hiring the car is prohibitively expensive (£1700 if we leave it at Calais plus an extra charge due to the number of miles we'd be doing). I'd do the train but we've two much stuff for me and 2 kids, too much even if DH flew back over to help (2 carseats, 2 suitcases, 2 back packs and a pram).

How long does the itching last? First spots appeared Tuesday, itching started yesterday.

How long until

If you can get a small inflatable paddling pool dd found the warm water soothing with moisturising baby bath added ( or oats etc) , also a few boats and containers for water play.

As I recall (and it's been a while since I had to deal with CP), the worst bit is the first few days (maybe 3-4 days?). After that, the fever subsides and the DC starts feeling better. By day 5 when the spots start to scab over, they stop itching.

hmm from what I can see Jet 2 is 7 days after first spot appeared rather than after last spot goes?

ChestyNut the Jet2 website says:

"For the safety of all our customers, at least 7 days must have elapsed since the first spots appeared, with no others forming, before we are able to consider carrying anyone with chicken pox."

So 7 days from the last spot in reality. He's still getting new spots, so it'll be at least next Saturday before 7 days is up.

Thanks juneau it's day 5 tomorrow if we count day 1 as Tuesday when we noticed the first spots, so hopefully getting through the worst today.

My lovely, lovely neighbors at the park have given me their bottle of calpol. I've told them the local supermarket doesn't sell it and they'd need a pharmacy but they have a car so are ok with that.

Oh my god! That sounds so stressful. I think you should get dh drove and get you. You could be stuck for much much longer otherwise!

You poor thing. You'll never be able to look at a static caravan again! On the plus side, your DH will owe you all childcare, bathtimes, bedtimes etc for weeks while you lounge around reading books and mumsnet. Hang in there!

SleepWarrior he's driving for 20 hours to get us, I might owe him!

That's good his coming to get you
Hope you don't have the pox to
It's v unlikely if you had it as a kid

Poor you OP, what a nightmare. I really feel for you. Hope dh has a safe journey and you all make it back ok.

Just remembered you said you are bf DC2. Hopefully that'll give him enough immunity to dodge it. Fingers crossed for you.

Am afraid I haven't rtft but I was in a similar situation. No one around me understood why but I choose to wait the 7days and was glad I did as a family member who took the original return flight said there were a couple of newborn (barely weeks old) children on the flight. Given the other germs being recirculated they may be a further thread in this, but I was glad I made the decision i did.

When we did fly, we had got a ftf (doctor wrote it without even seeing the child) and despite her having obvious spots not one single person questioned us or asked to see her ftf. It was farcical but still think it is a moral decision.