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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

What are the chances my DS will catch chicken pox?

27 replies

Scottishchick39 · 03/07/2017 15:48

My son has had contact with a child who has come out in chicken pox today, the problem is we are due to fly in 10 days time. Please tell me stories of how your DC spent lots of time with an infected child but didn't catch it.

OP posts:
BarbarianMum · 03/07/2017 15:51

How long are you away for. Ds1 came out in spots 20 days after spending the weekend with a little friend who came out in pox the day after we left. Ds2 came out in pox 23 days after ds1.

Changednamesorry · 03/07/2017 15:53

My kid has been through 4 or 5 epidemic in school and nursery and I think he hasn't had it....but my mum thinks he must have had it subclinically (she is a doctor) and I thought it was just a virus. So.....the answer is....who knows! Also....my dad thought he had never had it as a kid but when tested as an adult had immunity so he must have had it subclinically too.

Morecaffeineplease · 03/07/2017 15:54

DD aged 2 has been physically touched and played with children who (it turned out) were in the initial 2 wk period without knowing it. She also spent the day with a child whose spots hadn't scabbed ( I wasn't told by the parent until after!)

DD also does nursery & pre-school and we STILL have no sign of it coming....

I even took Bicarb and Virasoothe away with us on holiday just in caseWink

Good luck, hope it works out ok.

Watto1 · 03/07/2017 15:54

My niece didn't get it when her sister did, despite being in contact with her virtually 24/7.

LIZS · 03/07/2017 16:01

When were they last together? Dn came to a family party with cp Hmm but ds didn't catch it.

IgnoreMeEveryOtherReindeerDoes · 03/07/2017 16:11

yes it took 1 year for DS to get them after it done rounds in his year group and one above. 2weeks before holiday!!

Don't know how he picked them up as everyone I contacted said they already had them. Was shit because he ended up in hospital as spots scabbed over.

Fingers cross for your holiday

allgoodthings84 · 03/07/2017 16:14

No telling really. He may or may not come down with it. It could be up to 3 weeks until he gets his first spot even if he was infected. My little girl has just had it an she didn't get it from anyone we knew so got it from a stranger from anywhere we had been in the last 3 weeks running up to her showing a spot. It's not something that's easy to avoid really

WhatHaveIFound · 03/07/2017 16:16

My DS hasn't ever had it and he's 12yo. At one point there were 24 cases of CP in his nursery but he still didn't catch it. So you might be lucky!

DoublyTroubly · 03/07/2017 16:20

If you can get him the chicken pox vaccine within 3 days then that will give him some immunity (I think it's only about 75% immunity from catching it this time but a lot better than nothing)

Screwinthetuna · 03/07/2017 16:24

How old? My 10 week old spent the evening in the same room as a child who had a fever and feeling lousy and the next day came out with spots (can you imagine how angry I was when I turn up to someone's house for a meal and they say that their kid is 'so sick' in a really blasé way, when I'm standing there with my almost newborn). He never got it.
Both of mine have also spent the day with someone who came out in spots two days later and never got it.
When they eventually did it, DD had one spot (at first, she was eventually covered) and I didn't know what it was as she felt fine and I took her to playgroup with other children. None of the other children caught it. Good luck!

Original poster
Scottishchick39 · 03/07/2017 16:27

To answer some questions. He's almost 5 years old and has been in nursery since he was 11 months and never caught it. He spent Saturday evening with her for about 2 hours. We are away for 2 weeks.
I've never heard of the vaccine, I'll look in to it.

OP posts:
Original poster
Scottishchick39 · 03/07/2017 20:25

I'm too late for the vaccine, it has to be in two doses and 4 weeks apart. Fingers crossed he won't get it. We'll lose £400 excess plus the same holiday 3 weeks later is £500 more expensive and would be returning after school starts again.

OP posts:
BettyOBarley · 03/07/2017 20:28

I had my own thread on here recently about this as DD had chicken pox and we were going away right about when DS would start with spots if he caught it. Anyway amazingly he didn't and that's with living in the same house / very close contact so it's not a given that your DS will get it but unfortunately just no way to know.

PacificDogwod · 03/07/2017 20:30

Nope.
Still no idea whether your child is going to get chicken pox, sorry.
Incubation time is up to 21 days - DS2 came out in pox on day 20 after DS1 had them.

Otoh, DS4 escapes all of his siblings CP and several outbreaks at school/nursery. He just had them week before last.

Good luck!

Bodicea · 03/07/2017 22:01

Are you sure you can't give him the first dose of chicken pox vaccine. Surely that will create some immunity and you can give he second dose when you are back from holiday.

clickhappy · 03/07/2017 22:12

Are you insured? If not, get a policy now that covers you. He may or may not get it, it's really unpredictable.

I'm not sure the vaccination will be able to be given if your child has been in direct contact with it recently but worth checking.

Good luck x

clickhappy · 03/07/2017 22:13

Sorry just read your post. Can you change the excess on your policy?

PacificDogwod · 03/07/2017 22:14

No, vaccination will not work, immunoglobulin might but no idea how you'd access that.
I think you will have to take your chances.

Original poster
Scottishchick39 · 03/07/2017 22:39

I know it's down to chance and no one can see into the future, but the tales from those whose children have been in contact and not caught chicken pox has given me hope. Thank you x

OP posts:
Original poster
Scottishchick39 · 03/07/2017 22:40

That's a good idea Clickhappy, I'll go and have a look to see if there's any policies with smaller excesses.

OP posts:
JollyRodger · 03/07/2017 22:42

My kids have been around chicken pox multiple times and have never caught it. So there is hope OP.

BenguinsMummy · 03/07/2017 22:49

You could ask your GP for Acyclovir as a preventative measure op? It's taken 7 days after exposure for 14 days

DoublyTroubly · 04/07/2017 06:27

You can definitely still take the vaccine. The first dose has to be taken within 3 days of exposure and it gives 75% immunity against catching it from the original exposure

Crunchymum · 04/07/2017 07:13

I never caught it (or if I did I never had any symptoms) when my 3 siblings had it.

Luckymummy22 · 04/07/2017 07:15

My dad had shingles and my daughter and nephew were around him a lot because it was over Christmas (only realised it was shingles later). Neither got chickenpox. My daughter then got it a few months later.

It had been round nursery a few times before she finally caught it.

My son has still not got it (he wasn't born when his sister had it). Again it's been in nursery a few times. I'm sure he'll eventually get it.

By the sounds of it you will probably be ok to go on holiday but he may get it whilst you are away. Who knows what will happen. Just enjoy your holiday and fingers crossed he's ok