To be shocked at friend - Chicken pox related...

[backonthebikeagain]

So, my friends ds woke up with chicken pox on Tuesday. That evening she took him to a bowling party and then Pizza Hut.

She has a close family member, a 4 yo, who has leukaemia and knows how dangerous chicken pox can be to him. (let along to pg women who havent had it)

She sent me some photos on Thursday of his spots and I haven't responded.

AIBU to think that if your child has cp you dont take them to public places like this? I am so tempted to say something but wonder if Im over reacting due to the child we know. Plus, what would saying something now achieve!

Yanbu! But obviously some people are a bit stupid. My 3 month old and had a run in with a baby who has chicken pox today. She was covered in spots. Parents didn't see anything wrong with taking her out as long as they didn't get too close to anyone. From what I've read, you need only be in the same room as someone with CP to catch it.

Some people genuinely don't have a clue which is why, if she is a friend, I'd say something. Ds caught CP during early days of my second pregnancy and the consequences to the unborn child can be very serious. Luckily I was immune but not everyone will be, particularly women not born in the Uk.

soapboxqueen Oh dear. Wow, the uptake rate must have been really low for them to not offer it. Low vaccine uptake is one of my (haha) soapboxes because I got whooping cough from a (definitely now former) friend's child because the child had it and she brought him round to ours and he coughed SO much over everything. She said she'd had him round to the pediatrician and it was "just a viral cough, those take a few weeks to go away". Well, three days later she called me, she'd had to take him back because his coughs had started to get the characteristic 'whoop' sound. What I didn't know, and now tell everyone I discuss vaccines with, is that adult TDaP (Tetanus/Diphtheria/acellular Pertussis) boosters are very important. I'd been immunised as a child but it had long worn off. I spent my entire second trimester and a bit of the third alternating between coughing til I simultaneously wee'd myself and threw up, and being completely out of it on (bump-safe but v v strong) cough syrup and only coughing so hard I wee'd myself. The only positive I can take away from having it is a set of ridiculously strong core muscles from all the coughing...and the name of a lovely cough syrup for next time I get bronchitis.

GreatFuckability, obviously you couldn't help having to go out for food in your situation. I think that is a bit more unique to have a combination of semi rural with no delivery plus single parent, no family or friends to help. My nan was a LP to 5 young children, all of whom got CP together and had no car or anyone to help so she had no choice, it does happen. The people I have known could have easily asked family or friends to help grab a bit of shopping if they couldn't have it delivered (which they could), they just didn't see it as a problem and not that serious and that all children should catch it anyway.

I tried to educate 2 people that I know don't see a problem with it. They weren't interested and I think me down as being OTT.

When DS was 2, he was invited to a party. On the day birthday child came out with CP. Unbeknownst to me I was newly pregnant with DD and having had CP twice, was unsure whether I was immune. Thankfully I was confirmed as immune after a blood test but I do question the wisdom of that mother to carry on with the party.

I got massively hacked off about a woman bringing her child to a party when he had chicken pox. She was cackling about how it's good for kids to catch it when they're young etc. I was bricking it that my DS would come down with it as I had university finals a week later. It is never acceptable to knowingly expose others to illness without their consent.

Hi MrsdeV sorry if my post was confusing - you are of course right that the child with leukaemia would have had Ig, rather than a vaccine. Immunoglobulin is a form of immunisation - it is passive immunisation, whereas a vaccine is active immunisation.

I was just trying to reassure the OP that hopefully the poor 4yo hadn't been but at risk by her friend's stupid action. Didn't mean to cause confusion.

This claim that a child is vaccinated at dx doesn't make sense to me.

A single dose of varicella vaccine is 85% effective against breakthrough infection. Which might not be a problem for ordinary immunisation and herd immunity, but for a child facing chemo?

Also, it's a live vaccine - what is the interaction between that and chemo?

I can kind of understand MrsD's comment about vaccinating newly diagnosed children before treatment starts - assuming it's safe to have the live vaccine in their bloodstream? How long does it take to build immunity? Is there any danger if the child's body is still reacting to the vaccine & you start chemo?

Sorry, I'm not explaining that very well - and it may be a bit of a tangent. We don't know what stage of treatment the four-year-old is in. I just don't understand how, with an immuno-compromised child, anyone would knowingly risk exposure just so they don't waste their fucking prepaid bowling ticket. Beggars belief, some selfish bastards.

Mrs D I don't think they have changed anything. My niece has ALL and has to avoid playgroup etc as her cp immunity has vanished

She's a fucking idiot if she knowingly endangered other children and people with her child having CP.

The selfishness of some people just amazes me at times.

My daughter was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia 5 years ago this June at the age of 4. She was tested for immunity to chicken pox at the start of treatment, and found to have none. No vaccination is given to children on treatment. My daughter, now 2 and a half years post treatment, had all her vaccinations again starting six months after treatment ended.

She came into contact with chicken pox about 5 times while on chemo and each time was given a 3 week course of acyclovir (5 huge tablets a day)to try to prevent her catching it. Luckily they worked. I know most hospitals offer the zig injection but at the RVI in Newcastle, acyclovir is the chosen course of action.

As for your friend, she's a self centred twat. Knowingly putting lives in danger so her son doesn't miss a party!! I'm fucking outraged!