So many children with chicken pox out at Warwick Castle yesterday.

[ScreamLikeYouMeanIt]

I was out at Warwick Castle yesterday with my DH who has an autoimmune condition so subsequently a compromised immune system. He has also never had chicken pox. It was a lovely day but incredibly busy and crowded in confined places. Throughout the day we came into close contact with 3 families where one of their children were covered in unscabbed chicken pox so still contagious. DH has today had to go to his GP who has given him the chicken pox vaccine to be on the safe side (but this is not without risks for him and has still made him feel really rough for the rest of the day) Clearly I think this is downright selfish but there must be otherwise pleasant families out there who don't think this. AIBU to ask why you not inconveniencing yourself by cancelling a family trip is more important than protecting more vulnerable members if the public?

This is one of my phobias, people with chicken pox deciding to go out anyway. Immuno compromised too

Yanbu but how can you be sure they were at that stage? My ds had it recently & it looked poxy for 2 months after - like the spots were just coming out instead of clearing up.

Hope your dh is ok & not too Dverse effects from the vaccine

*adverse

What about all the other nasties that aren't visible?

I'm confused, if he could get the vaccination why dudnt he? I know you say it's left him feeling rough but surely that's better than catching CP.

I said on the other thread it needs to be added to the vaccination schedule.

I think it’s selfish to go out when your child has chicken pox. I’m actually surprised they allowed entry.

Yes I think it is selfish to go out with chicken pox or any other contagious illness but we were always told it was 100% our responsibility to avoid crowded places as there would always be contagious people that were about to develop something horrible even if the ones with obvious chicken pox etc stayed at home. You can't avoid bugs in a crowded space. Open beaches and other outside spaces were fine but anywhere crowded/ contained e.g. a cinema/ stately home on a bank holiday Monday were off limits.

He hadn't got the vaccine because its not offered as routine on the NHS and until very recently neither of us knew such a thing existed. It is some consolation that he is not more susceptible to catching things than the general population but that any illness takes a lot longer to fight off and can have more serious consequences. We also know his health is our responsibility but refuses to not live life to the full because of what may happen. As it stands he has to fly very regularly for work and I'm a primary teacher so we're both very aware that we do take frequent risk in this area. Bar living in a bubble it would be impossible to plan for all infection possibilities but I don't think it is unreasonable for people to think (when they have a known highly contagious illness) their want to go out is more important than thinking about the consequences to others.

Yanbu, some people are selfish.

I’m finding over the last few years there are more and more people that just don’t care about anybody other than themselves

I think lots of parents are either ill informed or just plain irresponsible when it comes to chicken pox. I get it's difficult to keep them at home especially when you have other kids and school runs to do, but some people don't seem to realise that for some exposure to chicken pox is very dangerous. I went to a BBQ the other day and someone turned up with 3 kids covered in unscabbed spots and hadn't thought about informing the host!!!!

When my kids had it they were kept in "isolation" until scabbing happened. It just part of having a child, chicken pox is one of the things you need to deal with.

I’m pretty disgusted that Warwick castle didn’t query it tbh.

Warwickshire, Birmingham and Solihull are off school atm.

My niece took her son to the park yesterday. His spots are still coming out, but she is amazingly selfish and thinks it's all about her!

It’s not up to Warwick Castle to query it, @tomorrow

Why is the nhs shying away from this vaccine still? Both my kids have had it, we live in the u.s now. Chicken pox is horrible to catch.

Having seen how ill my DP was when he got chicken pox I agree that if they are still contagious then they really should be at home. Against that I was once out with my sister and our children when we were forced to leave a soft play area as my nephew was accused of having chicken pox which was in fact eczema. Also you are contagious a couple of days before spots appear anyway so it's always going to be a danger when you go anywhere if you have any autoimmune conditions.

Pft. I’ve been on a BA plane with flight crew that didn’t give a shite. The mother very loudly explaining to her friend in a posh accent for half the gate to hear how everyone is mistaking it for chicken pox but really her son just gets like this when he’s bitten by mosquitos. Oddly not a single mark on rest of the 6 people in their party. Oh yes, she continued with a tinkly laugh and head tilt, people are so ignorant they just have no understanding of allergic reactions. He always gets like this. Some of us were exchanging looks thinking, so I’d this isn’t chicken pox (and it really obviously was) you’re claiming you take him to camping in fucking Greece at height onsummer knowing he’ll end up like this.

As they are also a workplace I think they have a right to query it with their customers.

It’s not just about everyone else though is it? What about the child with chicken pox. Surely their parent can see sense in them having a few quiet days to help their bodies fight it. I see far too many parents sending their kids to school/nursery/days out with temps and goodness knows what else which can’t be good for helping their kid get over it before the next germ strikes. I think some parents are oblivious or just don’t give a toss about other people when their child is ill. So YANBU.

This thread makes me wonder why my 2.5 year old hasn't caught chicken pox yet despite nearly her whole nursery class catching it last week.

I wouldn’t go to such a busy place on one of the few really nice days if I was immune compromise at that level.
Because the risk of someone being contagious with anything and esp with something that isn’t visible is too high (eg someone who has caught chicken pox but isn’t ill yet, so no spots/fever etc...).

I do think that it’s best if those children stay at home. I have to say all of mines only started to be ok for a such a big day out AFTER the spots had been scabbing (they will still be very visible).

My children have each had chicken pox in the past couple of months. My youngest is still covered in marks despite the last spot scabbing over a month ago, and we are STILL getting remarks about her “getting chicken pox?” because people must think the spots are coming rather than going.

With both children their spots started red, blistered, crusted, scabbed over, scabs fell off (mostly) then the spots looked red and angry but were most definitely going.

Having been through that, id absolutely assume people were taking non infectious children (unless I could actually see blisters).

Am also child of an immuno suppressed parent so I do understand the worry...

I'm immuno compromised. I also can't have the vaccine; and have no natural ability to repel the chicken pox - I've had it a lot.

Sadly; it seems some people see it is an inconvenient and harmless.

I hope DH is okay

This thread makes me wonder why my 2.5 year old hasn't caught chicken pox yet despite nearly her whole nursery class catching it last week.

You're not out of the woods yet. It can take up to three weeks for the rash to show after exposure to the virus.

www.cdc.gov/chickenpox/hcp/clinical-overview.html