to take a chickenpoxy child away for trip, partially on public transport?

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since yesterday DS has chickenpox. Doesn't seem to be feeling very bad, but is very spotty. we had plans to go and visit friends this weekend. It's a four hour trip, an hour of it by public transport (boat trip as they live on an island).
Am I meant to isolate him? Should he not be going on public transport? WIBU to go?

No he shouldn't be going on public transport. And the chances are, he is going to feel too ill tomorrow to go anywhere.

Keep him at home where he can recover.

Yes you would be unreasonable to go, you should isolate him as he will be very infectious.

Postpone your trip.

Sadly yes I think you have to isolate him, he might not be feeling too ill but its highly contagious and sometimes dangerous (pregnant women etc) so looks to me like your plans are buggered. Not really fair to take him on public transport knowing what he has.

I have to say as a heavily pregnant woman who hasnt had chicken pox I wouldnt be to happy if I ended up sat next to you both, you would be a bit U

YABU. Not fair to him as he is poorly, not fair to anyone else who could be affected by being in contact. Keep him at home and give him lots of love!

He seems ok today, running around like normal. the doctor says that it's so common, so not to worry about isolating him and go if he seems well enough. My friend's think I'm over reacting by thinking we shouldn't come now. But other friend's think I shouln't be leaving the house till he's spot free, and said I shouldn't be going to the park even.
So I'm after some public opinion!

It would be very inconsiderate to knowingly take a child with CP on public transport.

Although not a particularly big deal for the healthy- it could be catastrophic for someone with a compromised immune system or a pregnant woman. Yes they could be exposed to this anywhere from someone incubating the disease who has yet to develop symptoms, but you know about your child's CP and they will be infectious.

Your plans should not come before the health of others.

You would be deliberating choosing to put people at risk.

Chicken pox might seem like a minor inconvenience to you, but to anyone who happens to be immune compromised or pregnant it could be a huge deal.

Please don't.

Reschedule your trip.

You would be extremely U if you choose to go ahead. Selfish, selfish, and inconsiderate.

Very unfair for anyone else travelling.

I'd be really annoyed if I ended up sat next to you tbh. Also worth bearing in mind that just because your DS is feeling ok today doesn't mean he will be all weekend, although I hope he is for his sake!

Also who are you visiting?

If you come into anyone immune suppresed or elderly, shingles can be very serious, as can the CP virus.

If you go ahead you will more than likely ruin someone's Easter holiday.

YABU. Very common, loads of people will be infected by children who do not even know they have it yet, but you can avoid purposefully infecting people.

YABU, Contagious or not chicken pox can be a nasty business. The symptoms can be really awful for some children and traveling wouldn't do him any good.

Your doctor for example is a twat.

Your doctor told you not to isolate?

What a load of bollocks.

Official recommendations still say to keep away from anyone pregnant, babies, and anyone with a weakened immune system. And you aren't allowed to travel by air until six days after the last spot has crusted over. So your boat trip is out of order. Unless you intend to call the carrier and ask them if they mind a highly contagious child travelling with the rest of their passengers?

If you get it in writing from the ferry company that they don't mind an infectious proxy kid travelling, all fine. Crack on.

But I can't see them being overjoyed at the prospect of their other passengers health (not to mention their staff) being endangered by your selfishness.

How can you possibly know who else is going to be on the boat with you?

I got hoyed out of a holiday camp with the pox.

They gave us a free week later in the year. There was no way they were content for chicken pox to be around holidaymakers.

YABVU to be thinking about this. Have you read the potential complications for pregnant women?

NHS advice

Note that after the list of possible consequences, they advise women "See your GP urgently if you're pregnant or have given birth in the last seven days and you think you may have chickenpox, or if you've been exposed to someone who has chickenpox."

You cannot seriously think that your visit to friends should put someone else in that position. Though probably they woudn't even know they'd been exposed, unless of course they noticed that your DS is 'very spotty'.

Did you know that you can easily catch it just by being in the same room as someone with chicken pox? At it can be transmitted by airborne particles, or by your DS touching something and someone else touching it. So even if you make sure your DS doesn't touch anyone on the public transport, they could easily still get it. It can be very serious in some people (esp elderly, pregnant women). I'm surprised your doctor suggested travelling if your DS felt ok.

NHS advice on preventing it spreading is here. Note that you wouldn't be allowed to fly, for example.

I think I might consider it if the whole journey was by car, and if the friends we were visiting had had it, but I wouldn't go if the journey was by public transport. You need to wait until all the spots have crusted over.

YABU.

Your doctor gave you very poor advice, perhaps you misunderstood

Please keep your child at home

My wee one has chickenpox, and we've been inside for 5 days so far, waiting on her completely crusting over.
Our doctor said to keep her away from others till the last spot was scabbed over.
So think you've been given rubbish information.

I have to say it's not a great idea. As has been said chickenpox is extremely dangerous for immunocompromised people, potentially causing permanent disability or even death in extreme cases, so you need to avoid public transport or any other situation where you will be close to strangers for long periods. There are 10,000 children/teens undergoing cancer treatment in the UK right now with low immune status through chemotherapy and dear only knows how many adults. What if you sat next to one? If you can't modify your plans so that you can avoid close contact with strangers you really should postpone your travel. I'm completely stunned at your GP's advice, there is a strict policy that kids with active CP cannot attend school or nurseries for very good, potentially lifesaving reasons.

YABU - when my sister had her a level exams she used to babysit for a couple. They had her to babysit then a few days later she got chicken pox (they told her that their kids had it, though they had no spots on their faces). My mother was livid - my sister had to postpone her a levels for a year because the school wouldnt let her go in to sit her exams! I am sure you dont want to do that to someone else. It was terrible. My sister had to wait an extra year before going to uni. It was over 30 years ago but I think the same may apply now.

DS had chicken pox last yr, had a few spots for a couple of days, was fine, and then day 4 woke up and was covered in massive blisters, he was so sore and unwell he couldn't sleep properly, was a very unhappy boy.

When i phoned the doctors they came out to see him, they didn't want him in the surgery with vunerable people, old, and young etc.

So you would be Exceptionally unreasonable to drag your infectious child around on public transport, i am sure there was a mumsnetter who lost her baby in the 2nd trimester because she contracted chicken pox, the risk is very real.
Don't be selfish.

The airborne transfer issue is the reason for not flying. The air supply on the plane is effectively recycled such that every single person on board would be getting a good whack of pox, even the folks sitting at the opposite end.

When my dcs had the pox, mil's father was in hospital. She was told not to visit us at all, but if she had to, for any reason, she had to return home shower, scrub, and change clothes before she was allowed access to the hospital. But they begged her to choose between either visiting her sick grandchildren or her hospitalised father.

Chicken pox will put you out for a couple of weeks. Don't let it put someone else out altogether.

I think you're ok to go to the park, when most of the children are at school and it's easy to keep him away from others, but it's not ok to take him on public transport IMO.

Remember the doctors opinion is only that, you could probably find as many doctors that would tell you that you should keep him away from the public as you could doctors that would tell you not to worry.