Chicken Pox diemma

[519888888z]

Would really appreciate some advise. DS1 has chicken pox (spots started to appear Friday pm). We are meant to be flying to US on Sunday to visit family. Postponed trip as he was ill last time! Hopefully his spots will have crusted over and he won't be contagious by Sunday. Problem is DS2 who hasn't had chicken pox and isn't showing any spots. Dilemma is a) might he already be contagious - don't want to put anyone on flight at risk. b) supposing he became ill while away and we couldn't fly home. We are going for one week only and DH and I both have to be back for work. Is it reasonable or an over reaction to cancel trip because of possible chicken pox? Any advise greatly received. Finding this very stressful. Lost a lot of money last time (insured but excesses, admin fees, etc) not that this is of course the main issue.

Not cost effective

Is the MMRV really that much more expensive than the MMR to make cost a valid argument?

Ollivander - if you've had CP there is no point having the vaccine. Yes you can get CP twice, but to catch it you have to directly touch the spots - or be coughed/sneezed on with the droplets landing on you....
Its most contagious in the 2 days before spots appear, so there is no way to avoid it really.
Anyone on a flight could be contagious without the parents having a clue.
I still have no idea where DC chicken pox came from - not knowing anyone else with it, could have been a simple cough from another child in the playground/supermarket etc, and so it goes on.....
we could have infected anyone in the 2 days before spots - at the doctors, dentists, school playground etc - i had no idea dc had even been exposed.

it is scary yes, but other people cannot wrap themselves in a bubble for people with no immune system...

Boston, it's absolutely possible to get cp more than once, and further times. Purely from an Annecdotal view -contrary to the NHS choices guidance-I've seen increasing numbers of children having recurrent episodes in addition to more people being treated in the community or in hospital for CP complications. I can load all comments for some ridiculous iPhone reason but OP please ensure your child has all her spots scabbed over before flying. The air recycling in a plane is a great way of spreading viruses. Regarding your 2nd child if she's completely symptom free there's no way (without bloods) of being sure she does not get it on this occasion, unless of course you complete the incubation period! There are many many people as demonstrated on this thread that for cp it could be as serious as death.wait and see, perhaps get in contact with your insurance company and see what you are covered for? Please do not take a child with active CP on an aeroplane. It's incredibly bad timing but unfortunately there's not much you can do about it. Traveling whilst Knowing that others including the immunosuppressed could be infected really shouldn't be an option . I'm really sorry for your situation!

*can't load comments not 'can!'

Wow got a few comments!!! Regarding questiong of why varicella isn't available on the NHS for non risk patients is a good question .personally I think that as we see an increase in children needing treatment for it plus more having secondary compilations and sometimes hospital admission we will be heading that way shortly .

I get that! What I'm saying is if you know your child has licked a chicken pox spot on their sibling, or has three suspect spots on their back or has full blown CP then don't take them out. Not that people should be in a bubble their entire life - by the same reason I can't be. Nobody is going to pay for me not to work so therefore I have to be around people and work FT

YABU possibly infecting a plane full of people excited for their holiday. You really should cancel.

sorry wrong thread lol

Oh no it isn't, for god sake I need a holiday!!!

So when insurance doesn't pay out which is highly likely because neither child is showing signs of being infected - ds1 crusted over, ds2 bi signs - who takes the financial loss? Our last flight cost is over £1000 each - so do we just lose £3k just in case?!

I think it's dangerous and unreasonable, but sorry about your holiday.

DS 3 is at high risk from serious complications from CP, due to an underlying health issue. He has been immunised, but we're still very careful.

Also when I was pregnant with DS, DD caught CP. I nursed her (no one else could), and thought I was safe as I'd had CP as a child. A few weeks later I became quite poorly, ended up in isolation, in HDU within maternity unit. I remember the horror on the doctor's face when DH mentioned DD had recently had CP.

You have no idea who is immunocompromised, pregnant, or has an underlying health problem like DS's that could kill or make them seriously ill with CP.

Incidentally, my CP exposure didn't cause DS's issues.

For those that are saying they wouldn't have a holiday for a year ort the immunosuppressed shouldn't have holiday, I 'd like you to know that never mind a holiday, my DH been unable to go ANYWHERE in the past year. Yep, that's cinema, supermarket, church, village events, parties, Christenings, weddings, meals out, family celebrations, the pub....

So perhaps you'll forgive me if I can't get too upset that you might not be able to have a holiday!

No one is saying you have to stay in "just in case"....but if you KNOW you have been in contact with a highly contagious disease, why would you not consider the effect that might have.

I'm despairing...!

Just to confirm. I have carefully read all comments, considered everything, and have cancelled holiday.

Thank you OP. I wish more people were like you.

I'm despairing of you too fuzzy, I think you're being unreasonable. I'm a doctor, I am exposed to all manner of infectious diseases every day, should I never go on a plane?

If I was in the OPs position and the insurance wouldn't pay out (and honestly why should they?) then I'd probably go and keep my fingers crossed that we didn't get stranded abroad for a week.

Fuzzy, you are being unreasonable....if your DH is so compromised that he cannot go anywhere in public, what difference does it make to you if a family who are not infectious with CP travel on a plane?

I can see the OP has cancelled her hols so everyone can stop the mad panic!

Thank you OP, you are very considerate.

The NHS mainly don't vaccinate because being exposed to children with CP is supposed to boost an adults immunity and reduce their chances of developing shingles. Tell that to my mum though, who got shingles when me and my brother had CP. And I caught it off him, so it is highly likely DC2 is incubating it.

I'd also like to add that there's a world of difference between unknowingly and knowingly spreading an infectious disease.

you cannot catch shingles from chicken pox!!!!

you can get chicken pox from shingles....

why is this so hard for people to understand?

Op I think you've been very sensible. Personally I would have waited as long as possible to see if spots were scabbed over, however if there was active cp I absolutely would cancel too. I also have no idea of insurance and time frame you need to give etc. If dd showed no signs of cp I wouldn't worry too much (repeating myself) you wouldn't be able to tell if she was carrying/able to pass on the virus. As others have said there's a huge difference between not knowing if your child has an infectious illness and being aware your child has an infectious illness , will be in a confined space with recycled air and could well be risking very vulnerable people! Welsh weasel- are you saying you'd take a child on a plane in a highly infectious state inclise proximity to people you have no knowledge of their medical history? Or simply that you'd take a child who had been exposed to cp but had no idea if he or she actually had it? Both could apply to the ops post so I'm a little confused by your comment

It's one thing to take your child to the park or shops if they are unwell or possibly contagious, and another thing entirely to take them on a plane where everyone is sitting in cramped and confined conditions, sharing a handful of toilets and breathing in each other's air. This is why I am so glad that Australia vaccinated for CP!

I did mean to ask my consultant today but he was too busy doing face at my blood results. I injected last night to bring my neutrophil count up and somehow produced levels of 24. Given I've never been over 2 before he thought he had missed a decimal point
So today I could probably lick someone with CP and be absolutely fine 😂

ha! perhaps all this talk of CP riddled children has scared your immune system into behaving Ollivander! Hope it continues for you!

Sadly my body kills off my neutrophils you had one job body and you fucked it up

So I'm high today but I'll have murdered them all in the next few days and be back to my usual no neutrophil self

My niece came out with cp on the plane. There was no way of knowing this would happen (it was going around but siblings etc were fine). Not much you can do under the circumstances.

I vaccinated DD because we had a family occasion coming up where there were going to be a couple of immuno compromised people and cp was going around. Turned out it was too late. She got it anyway a couple of weeks later. Doc said she must simply have had a long (21-22 day) incubation. Luckily recovered just in time.

A friend vaccinated her kids and one got it a year later anyway.