to object to Chicken Pox quarantine advice?

[SummerMonths]

I understand CP can be nasty but I don't see any point in the quarantine advice. The virus is infectious for two days before the spots appear and obviously nobody knows it's coming so the virus is spread. Then the spots arrive and you have five days of house bound hell despite the fact you have already exposed people for days before.

And if the NHS were really concerned about stopping CP spreading they would vaccinate, but they don't. In fact they rely on kids getting CP young as it's more serious when old.

So can anyone explain the point of quarantine given you will already have exposed others to the virus? Isn't it rather a case of shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted?

[viques]

I came out with chickenpox at Sadlers Wells theatre. Many years ago I hasten to add,so you can put down the anti bac spray! I have always felt a bit guilty about it, but didn't realise I had it until I sat there feeling the pox pop up.

[Sashkin]

Cote I appreciate you aren’t a medical professional, but if you are going to state things as medical facts please at least google them first:

Natural immunity - immunity achieved the “natural” way, not via a vaccine.

Surgical masks - Princess covered that howler.

The charming post blaming a poster who miscarried due to chicken pox for not having the vaccine - she couldn’t have had the vaccine while pregnant, and the NHS does not test for varicella immunity routinely or if you are TTC.
www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/when-is-chickenpox-vaccine-needed/

And the series of nonsense posts about getting chicken pox twice if “your immune system didn’t work the first time” - just no. An explanation of T-cell differentiation would clearly go over your head, but hopefully this abstract is clear enough:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/6321605/

(Describes patients with positive varicella antibodies (ie immune) who went on to get clinical chicken pox within six months).

Some of your comments have been grossly offensive, please don’t set yourself up as an expert when you clearly have no idea what you’re talking about.

[TiggerSnooze]

My son currently has chickenpox and I just came upon this thread during the inevitable googling.

I have to admit that I haven't read the whole thread, and can see that the OP started it ages ago, but I can definitely see the OP's point. My son is 3.5 and goes to nursery so I knew it was only a matter of time before he got it if I chose not to go for the privately available vaccine - so, of course, I have thought about whether or not to go for the vaccine.

In the end, I had decided that I would probably vaccinate him if he hadn't had it by a certain age, mainly because it seems like it's nastier the older you get it. Which got me thinking about the current NHS stance on it: it is well-known that it is worse when older, and particularly bad for pregnant women, so it seems that by not including the vaccination in the NHS programme, they rely on pretty much everyone getting it young through exposure (and people who would suffer more than normal are eligible for the vaccination if it's medically suitable for them).

So, where has this whole taboo around chickenpox parties come from? Why is it so wrong to deliberately expose your child to something when there is a 90% chance they'll get it before they are 15 anyway, and it's much better if they do? Obviously, if you want to make sure your child is immune you can choose to vaccinate, but if too many people do this then it will actually reduce the exposure to the virus for everyone else and increase the average age of contraction, which is far less in the public interest than having it young and spreading it round your nursery (and, let's be honest, there are other childcare options available if, for whatever reason, you don't want your child to get CP at preschool age). I suspect the reason for this taboo is the same reason as for the quarantine period at nursery: it's just not socially acceptable to deliberately infect people with viruses in our current social climate, even though our NHS policy relies on it and you could argue that the obligation lies the other way.

I should clarify that I wouldn't advocate people with chickenpox going to all public places as normal, but quarantine from nursery?! It makes no sense to me, and I'm glad we have got this over with.

[SpidermanLovesCoffee]

Chicken pox parties are really stupid. Just vaccinate. CP can be very serious, as a good friend that works as a pediatric nurse can tell you. Over 20 years my friend has seen kids die. Why would you risk that.

The NHS don't vaccinate primarily because of cost. They also had the MMRV ready but then all the wakefield bollocks came out and they didn't think people would go for another vaccine.

I live in Spain and the it's just been added to the routine schedule. The UK are going to be one of the few western world countries that don't eventually.

I've also been immune compromised and then CP could have killed me, so keep your kids at home. It's selfish, irresponsible and stupid not to.