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?

[SuperCee7]

YABU. And you can get CP more than once. Why not take step to avoid the spread of disease? If it means not infecting other children and particularly those with compromised immune systems, then yes I would quarantine.

[SirBoobAlot]

YABVU.

I had shingles last year, and have been left with nerve pain. It was horrendous. I have a chronic pain condition as it is, so am used to pain, but this was (and is) awful.

CP can kill.

[CoteDAzur]

"you can get CP more than once"

Only if proper immune response didn't form the first time around - eg if you were a tiny baby or had some other immune system problem. Under normal circumstances, people get CP once and once only. Virus stays in the body and its subsequent awakenings (if any) cause shingle, not CP.

[CoteDAzur]

Shingles, rather.

[ghostyslovesheep]

I know 3 people - all nursery/school staff who have had it more than once - one has had it 3 times - I think it's quiet common - well I thought it was

[ghostyslovesheep]

but my post still addresses the OP view that if you get it young it wont effect you again

[GingerNutRiskIt]

One of the problems they're experiencing in the States with mass vaccination of CP in children is the really high rates of shingles that they're now seeing in children. DH had shingles 2 years ago and I wouldn't want my kids getting that.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

SummerMonths - there is a HUGE difference between suggesting that quarantine once the spots come out is pointless because you have already been unwittingly exposing people to contagion, as you do in your OP, and saying that, because quarantine is not going to be 100% effective, because the disease is contagious before the spots occur, so we should routinely immunise for chicken pox, as you have in your most recent post - can you see that?

Knowing that CP can be very hazardous to some people (pregnant women, immuno-suppressed people, the elderly), and knowing that it is still infectious once the spots come out, the only responsible course of action is to quarantine until the spots crust over.

However, it would not be unreasonable to campaign for more immunisation against this disease - though, as not everyone can be immunised, quarantine might still be necessary.

[WiIdfire]

The decision whether to vaccinate a population against a certain disease just isn't black and white. There are a lot of things to consider.

Effectiveness of the vaccine
Risk of side effects of the vaccine
Cost of the programme
Practicalities of vaccinating everyone
Compared to:
Severity of the disease
How common the disease is
Is it possible to vaccinate the target population?
Etc etc

Its not just a matter of "If the NHS doesnt vaccinate for this disease it must be safe"

Chicken pox is one of those borderline ones where there arguements for and against a national programme, so some countries do vaccinate, some dont. Doesn't mean you should ignore the quarantine advice.

[IloveConkers]

people with compromised immune systems like transplant recipients are unable to have the live CP vaccine. CP is highly dangerous and life threatening. Quarantine is a little inconvenient.

[Catphrase]

I quarantined mine, it was no hardship for us. the point is, you don't know who it could be lethal or extremely harmful to so why risk it? Keep them in, duvet days, Internet shopping and films.

[JoffreyBaratheon]

When I was on a teaching practice I caught CP from one of the kids (I even knew which kid it was - she went home ill on my last day). I had a devastating miscarriage the day before I realised I had CP. Wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. I had two other miscarriages at different times in my life but nothing was as dramatic and terrifying as that one.

I think if anyone knows there's a remote possibility they're infective, they should stay home. How hard is it? But I also wouldn't agree with vaccinations - think people do talk a lot of crap about 'herd immunity' etc.

[figureofspeech]

I had problems with the school who wanted me to send in my dc after 5 days even though they hadn't fully scabbed over. The spots came out in phases over 4 days so then dried out over a further 5 days. The secretary kept going on about only 5 days incubation period & wouldn't listen. So I relented & sent them in with spots still weeping & the school turned round & said they needed to be at home. If only they listened to me in the first place.

[CoteDAzur]

I am sorry you had a miscarriage and don't want to sound mean but at least part of the responsibility was on you to get vaccinated against CP before pregnancy, especially if you know you had not had it before. You can't expect the whole world to bend over backwards to protect you, especially if you don't take the necessary steps to protect yourself.

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

I think there might be an issue with your basic premise that the NHS doesn't vaccinate for CP because it doesn't think it's dangerous. The risk management decision is likely to be more complicated than that.

Do you understand and agree with the basic concept that the more people that you come into contact with while you are infectious, the more people you are likely to infect.

[thelouise]

YABVU and selfish. You cannot give live vaccines for immuno-compromised people. Nor can you predict that you'll get cancer or an autoimmune disease or need an organ transplant.

[Dawndonnaagain]

Dd two was in hospital with chicken pox. She was 18 months old and very, very ill, but hey ho people thought it was okay to let their kids go to her older brother's nursery with Chicken Pox.

Quarantine cannot fully protect them. Of course it can't, but it can minimise some of the spread of infection. There are many people with compromised immune systems, to knowingly allow your child to mix when said child has Chicken Pox is a)selfish and b) endangering the lives of others.

[CoteDAzur]

" but hey ho people thought it was okay to let their kids go to her older brother's nursery with Chicken Pox."

Is that like hey ho you thought it was OK for your older child to be near your baby with Chicken Pox?

Or do you think it's possible that those parents sent their children to nursery when they were incubating and infectious but not yet symptomatic?

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

In fairness, Cote - it is an awful lot harder to quarantine one child from the others than it is to decide not to send your child with chicken pox to nursery.

[tobysmum77]

I think that the UK should vaccinate if it's that big a risk. A booster could potentially increase the length of time. Of course people who have been vaccinated catch it at the moment, but if enough are vaccinated then there is herd immunity.

In terms of shingles, it isn't true that it's always nasty very often it's just a very itchy painful rash. I've had it and tbh it wasn't that bad there are risks with cp too. 'The NHS can't afford it' O.....K.....

So yanbu op imo.

[SummerMonths]

OK. Some convincing points here. Others less convincing e.g those saying they got shingles from non quarantined children, apparently that is less likely the more youareexposrd.

I would still argue for a vaccine though.

At v least there should be vaccines for women who reach child bearing age without ever catching CP.

[Indantherene]

All 5 of my DC had CP; the eldest 4 at the same time. DC3 had it the worst, with spots even inside his eyes, but has gone on to have it twice more. DC2 had it really mildly and only got 2 spots. There is no logic to CP.

DC5 caught it at nursery at 10 mo. She had shingles at 7 yo

[Undertheboredwalk]

Summer, those posts where people have claimed to catch shingles from unvaccinated children is just rubbish. You can't catch shingles at all, it's an reactivation of the virus in people who have already had chicken pox, you can catch cp from people with shingles but shingles itself isn't contagious. If anybody has come down with shingles after being exposed to cp it is purely coincidental.
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