Bringing child with chickenpox to family party

[Eemamc]

Not sure if I am. LO cousin has just got chickenpox so still in infectious stage. MIL thinks it’s no problem if they come to family party tomorrow. We’re staying at IL until next Tues, so not a case of just staying home as party is here where we’re staying. She thinks it’s fine as all the adults have had chickenpox. My LO is 12 months, so I know unlikely to be dangerous, but it just doesn’t feel right to bring an infectious child to a family party. Will be no way of keeping the children separate at party or stop them sharing toys. Am I being unreasonably anxious? I know she will prob get it at some point, but I feel might be better if she were a little older? And an if she does it can’t be helped scenario, rather than basically guaranteeing it. Thoughts?

Exactly, RollerJed.

MN full of bullshitters these days, too.

I'm the Pope, btw.

No it's not OK, and people can catch it twice btw so you're not all safe. Get your LO the vaccine.

I think that as a greater number of the older population become covered by the shingles vaccine, we’ll then see the CP vaccine being added to those offered as part of the childhood immunisation scheme.

"I think that as a greater number of the older population become covered by the shingles vaccine... "

But is this offered routinely to over 70s, or do they have to ask for it? I haven't seen any 'go and get yourself vaccinated' campaigns (though maybe there are leaflets in the surgery?), but could have missed it! I doubt that a majority of 70 yr olds would think of it (or know it existed if not told), so if the aim is to have wide takeup it may require a campaign. Think I just read that it is only for 70s - once in your 80s it is not recommended - is that right?

They dont vax probably due to cost vs benefit. But also because the idiot anti vax would also not vax for cp, and actually probably even some provax wouldnt bother, increasing the risk of catching as adults or when pg.
thing is if we are hiding away cp ridden kids it's not really boost the oaps anyway...
However all the gp doing childcare may get the boost plus older parents.

@Bucketlid is entitled to share his/her view.
I did wonder initially if when saying "I am a GP" s/he meant GrandParent rather than doctor.

Whilst bucketlid might view it as a mild childhood illness, GPs only become concerned when they are complications, to bring a contagious child to a family party where other children are without asking those parents is wrong.

Stinking colds are also mild childhood illnesses, far milder than CP. Yet several times a year mere colds & viruses put DD3 & I into A&E & onto prednisolone again due to asthma flare ups each time we catch something. We don't volunteer to put ourselves in harm's way, nor should anyone else "volunteer us" . I get very fed up if people turn up ill & contagious.

Absolutely bloody not, I'd be off like a shot.

Chicken pox is not the mild childhood illness it's painted out to be in some cases. There's more than one parent on here that has lost a child to CP.

Mine had it back in May and every single one had complications. The eldest ended up in hospital, middle on antibiotics and the baby on antibiotics too as he had a skin infection and they'd affected his chest. They're fucking terrible.

As for the NHS, my GP certainly didn't consider it a mild childhood illness. She said she wouldn't be at all surprised if the vaccine was brought into the schedule and that it's a nasty illness.

I got very mild chicken pox as a baby. I infected my DSis and DB who both got it more severely. I then went on to get shingles as a teenager right in the middle of A levels. I missed most of the exams and therefore took them in the retake sessions.

Interesting that getting CP early means a higher risk of early shingles, I didn’t know that.

My understanding is that siblings of those with CP often get a more severe case due to being closely exposed to the virus over a few days by their sibling. Those who catch it from a brief encounter with someone affected tend to get it more mildly. So there’s some argument for CP parties.

However, if you get it very mildly you may not have built up immunity. If you get it very young, you may be at risk of childhood shingles, it seems. Having had shingles, I don’t recommend it. The area where I had it hurt for years afterwards.

I’d go home, having it as a baby means the nappy area can be badly affected and it’s so hard to treat the spots under a nappy. She may get it mildly and not become immune, she may get childhood shingles. Having it at 3 or 4 yo, much easier.

My 15 month old baby just had chickenpox. He didn't even realise he had it. He was his usual happy self, albeit a spotty version. Every child is different.

SIL no longer coming to the party... but it’s for her own convenience, not because child is infectious. We would have left though, glad we don’t have to now.

Let's hope she doesn't change her mind OP.

‘They dont vax probably due to cost vs benefit’ I don’t think it’s purely this. Other countries added the CP to the vaccine list because it saved money in the long run as parents wouldn’t need so many carer’s leave days.

Ellen as far as I understand it's not an earlier risk of shingles, it's just in general the risk of shingles in the older population rises with less exposure to people with chicken pox. However, if everyone was vaccinated then that wouldn't be the issue? We know a few children with very serious complications and didn't feel the risk was worth it for our child just to ensure the older population didn't get shingles later when it's an available vaccine.

I hear the NHS is planning to add CP vaccination to its schedule in 2021.

We got DS vaccinated as soon as he turned 12 months. I asked my DSis (paediatrician) if she recommended it and she said absolutely, she thinks all parents who can afford it should vaccinate their DC, although I suppose her view is coloured by the fact that she only sees the DC affected very severely by it who end up hospitalised and at risk of death. Anyway, I'd rather not let my PFB (and indeed any subsequent DC) get ill if I can prevent it, just so he can give a few old people a temporary boost in immunity. If they're so worried they can get the shingles vaccine.

When I had DS vaccinated, I had a good chat with the GP who was doing it about how strange it is that pretty much all of the developed world routinely inoculate against CP whereas the UK does not. We were both aware of the official NHS reason, but he was very clear that he firmly believed that that was nonsense and the real reader was cost. I totally agree with previous posters in not understanding why people (who have the funds) are happy to let their DC get this horrible illness.

From personal discussions with a senior paediatric doctor who is involved in planning the immunisation schedule, they are going to be adding chickenpox vaccine to the UK schedule in the next few years.

The reason they hadn't previously is they were adding hep b/ rotavirus /expanded pneumococcal / men b / hpv / over 70s shingles jabs to the schedule all in the last 10 years or so. Plus were waiting for evidence of cost effectiveness, which we now have from Australia /USA etc. They wanted time to get the shingles jab for elderly established in particular. Btw if you vaccinate your own child, you by far reduce their personal risk of shingles in future (the trade off is some of the general population of old people may have a slightly higher chance of shingles if they didn't bother to get the free jab )

I'm a hospital paediatrician and whilst I know I see the worst cases, I have seen 1 immunosuppressed child die, 2 non immunosuppressed children get necrotising fasciitis (aka flesh eating bug) and lose large bits of their body as a result, another 2 non immunosuppressed kids end up in icu, and approx another 20 kids be hospitalised on the general paeds wards.

And its preventable for 65 quid for one jab from superdrug, (gives 85 per cent prevention of any chickenpox and nearly 100 protection from severe chickenpox) or 130 quid for 2 jabs (98 per cent prevention of any chickenpox and 100 protection from severe chickenpox). See here www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/varicella/hcp-effective-duration.htm

Bucketlid I can believe you're a gp and I agree for the majority of kids it is a mild illness. But if your kid happens to be unlucky and get horrendously ill, or gets loads of scars, or even just be miserable for a full week, is that really worth it when you can vaccinate??

Believe me the guilt of the families of these children with really bad chickenpox is horrendous when they realise they could have prevented it.

We need to bring in nhs chickenpox vaccination and the sooner the better.

Ps to the op, if you are thinking of giving the chickenpox vaccination the standard age to give it from is 12 months onwards. But be aware you need to either give chickenpox on the SAME DAY as the MMR or more than 4 weeks after the MMR.

Pps both my kids I got the vaccine on same day as MMR, and I've offered to pay for chickenpox jabs for all my nieces and nephews

Ppps I think it's an awareness issue more than a cost issue as 65 or 130 quid is within reach of most (nearly all if compared to how much gets spent on Christmas!)

You have a 12-month old. This is absolutely not on.

Leave.

Ppps I think it's an awareness issue more than a cost issue as 65 or 130 quid is within reach of most (nearly all if compared to how much gets spent on Christmas!)

It certainly is. I live in a country where it's on the routine vaccination schedule, and I hadn't even known a vaccine existed. I asked my friends back in England if they were getting their kids vaccinated against it and the general reaction was surprise that a vaccine exists. I told them they should do it and most of them responded that if it was really important, the NHS would be doing it. So they didn't bother.

Very strange, especially as where I live is a so-called "developing country".

Hi @Eenamc , sounds like it was all sorted. Did you enjoy party sans contagious child?

I hope family party was great. Glad you didn't have to choose as contagious child wasn't brought, but I think you did brilliantly. Well done for drawing a line and expressing yourself so kindly and clearly earlier.