That you don’t take a toddler with chickenpox on a flight and the airline shouldn’t let you!

[DrWhy]

So we have just flown back on a 4 hour flight sitting behind a couple with a young baby and toddler. The toddler seemed very quiet and was already seated when we sat down so it was only when they got off I realised he was covered in spots and calamine lotion! Not scabbed over as far as I could see. I asked the Mum when we were collecting luggage and she confirmed that he did have chicken pox but said it was only contagious before the spots appear. I’m pretty sure this isn’t true!
So I’m 6 months pregnant- and have fortunately had chickenpox or it would be really risky but DS is 2 and hasn’t had it yet.
I can’t believe anyone would do this and the airline didn’t stop or challenge them.
Do the airline have any responsibility to prevent obviously contagious passengers boarding?
Is there any possibility at all that DS won’t get it? Is there anything we can do to help protect him now we know he’s been exposed? We have been dithering about getting the vaccine for ages and hadn’t because there doesn’t seem to be totally convincing evidence that it gives lifetime immunity- the vaccine data sheet itself only claims 10 years but would giving it now help or is it too late once he’s been exposed?
I’m obviously worried about complications for him and how unpleasant it will be but I also start a new job role on return from this trip and am still covering my old one, DH is busy too and we have no family help for childcare so I’ve no idea how we’d manage a week or two off nursery if he gets it.

They are selfish as there could have been someone immunosuppressed put in real danger.

I’m not sure you’ve been put in a particularly terrible situation though. If you weren’t planning to vaccinate then you were planning for him to get it at some point, why not now?

If it was me I’d get him vaccinated ASAP and hope to either prevent or get a mild dose.

When we were on holiday we bumped into a little girl and her dad on a tiny little beach with chicken pox, the rest if her family had gone home but she wasnt allowed to travel until all the spots had dried up. So some airlines def dont allow it. Fingers crossed your little in avoids it, although it is better to get it younger.

The airline shouldn't have let them fly so YANBU about that. However given that chicken pox is most infectious before the actual spots appear, you could potentially be around chicken pox in a daily basis and neither you or the person with Chickenpox will actually realise it.

Also, isn't it better that they get it when young? I have known a few adults who got terribly I'll from contracting chickenpox when they were older, because they never got it as a child.

Where I'm from, people look forward to getting chickenpox out of the way. I certainly did!

Either way, it's done now and you can't change it. He'll either get it or he won't.

I think it's like most viruses in that it's possible to be infected and not show any symptoms. I believe this is what must have happened with DS1 who appears to have got to adulthood, through childminder, school, university and a younger sibling who definitely had chickenpox, without so much as a single poxy spot. Either that or he's naturally immune.
I'd go for the jab, chickenpox is horrible.

Sorry ill not I'll. Autocorrect!

Are you sure they weren't stabbed over?

A friend recently had to stay out on holiday for an additional 10 days due to bad timing chicken pox. Luckily they had holiday insurance but it was two weeks worth of wage she lost unpaid and had to look after a poorly toddler on her in a hotel room because insurance only coveted one adult staying on. So as much as its irresponsible the families circumstance could have made it impossible for them to have stayed abroad.

Wtf is wrong with people

I once worked in a shop which sold school uniform. Some stupid woman bought her daughter into the shop (full of other kids) with chicken pox and expected her to be able to try on all the uniform which of course other DCs will be trying on.

I actually asked her to leave and come back at another time and she went fucking ballistic and made a complaint about me. I've never had it myself so like hell was I about to put myself and loads of others (including babies) at risk. People are bloody selfish.

The thing is, if the boy hadn't broken out in spots yet and you'd both travelled 3 days earlier, he'd have been even more contagious than he was. And NObody would have known he was incubating them.

No, he shouldn't have been on the plane. BUT the reality is, most people are exposed to these things all the time without knowing because people just don't know when their own children are incubating them.

That's their lookout though? It's not the other passengers' fault. Maybe they can't afford to be off work either.

I had my son vaccinated the day after my daughter came out in chickenpox. He has a skin condition and I didn't want To risk him catching a severe case. I did my research and discovered that if you vaccinate within a few days of being exposed to spots then it may prevent or reduce the severity. My daughter was covered head to toe, my son did get it but only had four spots and was not ill so the vaccine worked. I will get him immunity checked when he is older and revaccinate if needed.

They may have seen a doctor and been issued with a fit to fly letter . You are not a medical expert.

I know from personal experience how serious chickenpox can be.
Definitely complain. That inconsiderate selfish witch has no idea of the possible consequences. My bloods boiling thinking about it.

Coveredincake

Out of interest, why do you have so much hatred for the mother? You call her an 'inconsiderate selfish witch'. However, the OP stated that this was a COUPLE with their child, does the man not also deserve tour wrath, or is it only the mother who is responsible? Genuinely curious....

Your not tour. Autocorrect is not my friend tonight.

As the mother of a child who is immune suppressed I would sue. My child would have to have anti viral which make her so sick. I can't stand the entitlement of parents like this.

I really don't think it is a risk to you. Talk to your GP. You have had it. Son is a good age to get it and actually better in two weeks time than when you have a small baby. Slightly annoying but not a disaster.
Agnurse you really are catastrophising

Are you sure they weren't scabbed over? My ds came out in chickenpox two weeks ago, and from a distance you can still see all of the spots. He scabbed pretty quickly though and so probably hasn't been contagious for about 9 or 10 days.

Friends child developed it on holiday they claimed on travel insurance and had to stay in airport hotel until deemed not contagious. Was a right pain for them. But they are decent parents not selfish gits like that couple.

I'm too am on medication that suppresses my immune system and I've never had chicken pox all my siblings had it so it's suspected I have natural immunity but if I come into contact with it I have to urgently contact my consultant.

I appreciate it's not nice for the child and parents but people need to consider the bigger picture.

Oh no. I would be furious too - moreso because chicken pox poses a huge risk to pregnant people, and there could have been other pregnant people on your flight who hadn't had chicken pox and whose babies could have been affected.

Obviously it would be a pain if your DS gets chicken pox, but for any unborn babies it could be fatal.

It's hugely irresponsible of the parents and the airline. My nephew contracted chicken pox on holiday and wasn't allowed to fly home until his spots had scabbed over. He and his dad stayed an extra 4 days in Sicily, I believe. It was an inconvenience, but they would not have wanted to put others at risk. He had to been seen by a doctor and declared fit to fly.

My son survived several outbreaks of chicken pox at nursery without succumbing.

I would be livid.
My DD is taking medication to suppress her immune system so is high risk for complications from chicken pox.
I can accept that DD is going to be exposed to those who have the virus but don’t know, I would be really angry if someone knew their child was contagious but chose to expose them to others.

They might not have known before they got on the plane. Until spots appear you have no idea if they’ve got chicken pox, and they can appear quickly.

I came down with chicken pox on a 9 hour transatlantic flight. When you’re 35,000 feet over the ocean there’s bugger all you can do about it and my mother certainly wasn’t a “inconsiderate selfish witch” for not psychically knowing I was incubating it.

I'm shocked that the airline would let them on tbh. Surely you would stop and question a passenger with a rash, cough, or spots before allowing them to board? Maybe I'm naive but I always assumed that would happen.

Apologies for sounding harsh. Ive lost people due to chickenpox.

So to clarify, I spoke to the mum at luggage collection. She confirmed he had chicken pox and said she hoped we hadn’t been sitting near her. When I said we were directly behind her she said that it was only contagious 10-14 days before the spots showed so I think she genuinely didn’t think she was putting anyone at risk, however she is totally misinformed. If she’d said, no need to worry they are all scabbed over (like the lady at swimming class a couple of weeks ago), or we’ve got a Drs note, he’s not contagious anymore - I would have been reassured. They also had a much younger baby with them - 3 or 4 months - who didn’t look like they had anything but could of course be incubating it and highly contagious or not and absolutely fine. It’s of course as much the Dads responsibility as mums but I spoke to the mum as she seemed to have English as a first language whereas her DH didn’t.
I think the airline should have challenged them in some way to prevent them boarding. However, as I said they should have challenged me for the fit to fly letter I was carrying and no one did on either leg of the flight.
It seems the plan for the morning is to contact my midwife and see if she recommends an immunity test for me and to call the GP or NHS direct to see if vaccinating the toddler now is going to be helpful.
I’m kicking myself for waiting so long and faffing so much about the vaccine it just doesn’t seem to be that clear whether it confers lifelong immunity but my concern about him getting it now has made me realise it’s something that I do want to do.