To take my baby on holiday with chickenpox

[MamaMia100]

Before you shoot me down, read on:
It started on monday 16th when I found a big well developed (so must have been there a day or 2 already) blister under his testicles. A day or 2 later, more spots and a temperature (quite mild, he hasn't really been that unwell). Old advice is wait until all spots crusted over (which would prob be a good week away from
now as new spots still appearing) but gp said (and wrote me a note saying) that new guidelines are that they are only infectious for a max of 6 days from first spot (which must have appeared on Sunday at latest as it was already a big fat blister by the time I found it on Monday, and the other spots have taken a few days to reach that stage). Supposed to be going to rural France to stay in a v isolated house which we are unlikely to leave v often (as there's a pool ad massive gardens there) by train tomorrow morning. I am worried about
A) infecting others on train as, despite gp advice, spots are far from crusted over,
B) him getting more ill while away from home (been told they can get a bad cough a week after pox gone - any experience of this???). He has breathing issues which are due tone investigated when we get back from hold (noisy breathing/gasping - suspected floppy larynx or similar. Endoscopy had to be postponed when he developed the pox).
Any opinions? Do I go with gp's advice, or my conscience (and miss out on my hols when he may not even be infectious - don't think travel insurance will work as we bought it after pox
seen by gp). And there's the worry of a bad cough making his breathing worse. We are going with a friend who is a trainee gp and there is a hospital nearby but still a bit worried...

Any thoughts/ opinions greatly appreciated as I've lost the plot somewhat! Sorry for mammoth post! TIA

He's 11 months old btw

I wouldn't go. If he is poorly then it's better to be at home

I don't know where your GP got that from. NHS advice is:

Someone with chickenpox is most infectious from one to two days before the rash appears until all the blisters have crusted over. This usually takes five to six days from the start of the rash.

So usually it's 5 or 6 days but in your DS's case it's longer.

It only takes 15 mins of being in a room with someone with CP to be exposed to it. Can you delay your holiday a few days?

I don't know anyone who's had complications but if you have a medical person with you and you are aware of potential problems, I think that's fine

I am usually the first to shoot someone down who suggests taking their poxy child out in public. But if the guidelines have changed, there will have been years of research into it. With something as contagious as chicken pox, the guidelines will be there for a reason. I would go with current advice, if the doctor says he is no longer infectious then there must be new research and evidence to back this up.

As for getting seriously ill afterwards, unusual as most children recover fine, but this bit is up to you.

Personally, I would still go, but I would have the note from the GP with me on the train to show all the people who still assume that it is contagious until all spots have crusted over!

I think that he'd still be infectious on the train. You don't know that the spot you found first had been there a couple of days. When dcs had the pox, the spots appeared ery quickly, so from slight red mark to blister ertainly in no less than a few hours.

On the assumption that he is infectious you absolutely shouldn't take him on a train as you have no idea about who you may be passing the virus onto.

ummm, I wouldnt go.
have you seen the mirror cracked, about an actress who was pregnant and came into contact with someone with the pox and it damaged her child....

I would go.

do you have a car? could you travel by eurotunnel to eliminate contact with other passengers?

Hmm, how come spots are now not infectious when they have not all crusted over??? I don't understand that.

The gite sounds OK but I'd worry about the train and tbh I wouldn't like to be on a train for hours with someone who has CP. Older people could catch shingles, pregnant women could be exposed to the CP...

Please just delay a few days...My 80 year old Grandmother has never had chickenpox and is an occassional worry what with all the grandchildren and great grandchildren having it over the years...Id hate her to catch it from a stranger on the train.

If you were driving yourself it would be a different matter, but as you are going by train then no, I don't think you should.

Yes you may be upset to miss your holiday - but it is not worth the risk to other passengers or the hassle for you if he is very poorly with it. Sorry.

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Chickenpox/Pages/Prevention.aspx

This mentions for travel on planes it should be 6 days after the LAST spot appeared. I think the sensible thing would be to apply the same to any public transport.

Erm elizaregina that was measles. And I don't think it's wise to offer medical advice based on a Liz Taylor movie

OP - I'd go.

We're in almost exactly the same position, except we're travelling by ferry and going on Tuesday. I spoke to the ferry company yesterday who said that they have no issues at all with him travelling, but to stay away from play areas. I'm still unsure but feel that he will recover so quickly over the course of next week, and our destination is so remote that he should be fine. We're going to make the call on Monday. I think I'd go in your situation - the trainee gp would swing it for me.

Can you travel by ferry at all? Good luck for a speedy recovery!

As someone who caught chicken pox when I was 6 months pregnant, I ask you very, very politely not to go.

It was the most horrendous illness - hallucinations, coupled with the constant fear I would lose DS.

It sounds to me that you are trying to rationalise going (assuming that the first blister appeared on Sunday, when you don't actually know for sure) but, as others have written, travelling on a train, you risk the health of so many other people... please don't do that.

I don't like the "stay away from play areas" advice, people who are vulnerable could be in any public area of the ferry.

Can you go by car or delay by even a few days?

No idea of new guidelines, but would they not be on the NHS website?

I would not go, because you could infect a whole lot of people on the train and if he is already susceptible to chest infections, I would want to be at home in case he took a turn for the worse.

CP is dangerous for those with weakened immune systems or those who cannot be immunised.

Presumably you have travel insurance so can cancel/reschedule your trip?

If NHS are still saying crusted-over on the website that's probably just as up to date as your GP so I wouldn't risk it.

Is there any way you could go by car instead of train?

pied you cannot catch shingles.

I would not go unless all scabbed over. It is not fair on him or other passengers who could be immunosupressed or pregnant, very young or never had it.

I think your GP is talking rubbish.

Regardless of the infectivity, I wouldn't go without travel insurance. The European Health card only covers the basics and you could still end up with substantial charges, for example if your DS had to be medically repatriated.

Complications from chickenpox are rare in someone who is otherwise healthy but they can occur and be serious.

mamamia, I wouldn't worry about him being ill while you are away, in the very unlikely case that he gets complications, there are plenty of doctors and hospitals in France. But would check travel insurance.

The train is really the issue isn't it? I think it is a really tough call as the gp has said it is fine. Can you do some google searches for latest advice, change of advice and see if you can find a source for it? I can imagine NHS guidelines may not have been updated and the gp may be really up to date, but there is a little suspisious part of me that wonders if he has got it wrong?
If dc is infectious, you really shoulsn't travel on the train.

I would go. we're talking over a week since spots started appearing. You're going to an isolated house. Truth is most people come into contact with chicken pox on a daily basis due to the fact that they are infectious before the spots actually start to appear. This isn't a toddler who is going to be running around touching everyone and everything in sight - keep him quiet on the train but yes I would still go.

And yes chicken pox can be devastating, but that is actually so incredibly rare anyway - a common cold can be devastating in the wrong circumstances, yet we don't get this hysteria about going out if you have a cold and the devastation it can cause if the wrong person catches it.

I wouldn't go on the train. There is a regular poster here who lost her imuno-supressed daughter due to exposure to chicken pox and her story made me totally re-evaluate my attitude to it. You don't have the right to willingly expose others to what can be a dangerous infection IMO.

That said, I've no problem with the holiday itself, just the means of getting there. Could you drive? Or even reschedule the train so you still get part of your holiday, not the whole fortnight?

Wannabe - for people who are pregnant or immunosuppressed the risk is pretty high and can be fatal. I think it's pretty selfish to try to discount that risk.