To be annoyed that nursery don't believe me that DS is fine...

[coffeeforone]

And are insisting on sending him home with suspected chicken pox??

We just came back from where holiday where unfortunately we all suffered from a fair amount of mosquito bites, DS (3) has quite a few on his face and arms. He also has a runny nose. When I dropped him off at nursery this morning I explained they were bites, not chicken pox. I know quite few kids have had CP at the nursery in the past few weeks but I don't think DS will catch it as he was vaccinated last year, so hopefully immune. They said fine and I left him eating breakfast.

However the nursery manager just called and explained that although we think it's not chicken pox, to be on the safe side can we collect him as he is itching and showing other symptoms of mild illness which indicate CP (runny nose!?) - if spots don't worsen by tomorrow then he can come back? I'm a bit annoyed that I didn't even reach work and I had to turn round to collect him when he is fine! AIBU??

I think they’re just being cautious. Better to be safe than sorry, an all that.

I’m sure they care more about an outbreak of CP than you missing a day of work!

Yes I think you are. Lots of parents try it on with illness, they should go with what they see in front of them. Unfortunate for you but it may prevent your ds getting sick another time.

If he's been in contact with children who have had chicken pox in the last few weeks, it could be that he has caught it as well as having a few mosquito bites.

Much better for the nursery to err on the side of caution.

Fair enough, just a bit frustrated as DH and I both have a lot on at work today. We 'joked' about this last night as it does look like CP and negotiated that it was my turn if DS can't go to nursery today...never thought for a minute that they actually wouldn't believe me. They also have on file that he is vaccinated and I have lots of very similar bites on my arms which I showed to his keyworker this morning!

Do the nursery know he has been vaccinated against CP?

And if he has bites, of course he’ll be itching!

Yes they know he's been vaccinated

When we moved into our new house we were horrified to find the owners had left us a nice present of fleas in the carpet which went on a bitey bitey attack mission . When I dropped off DS at nursery I remember saying cheerfully "I know it looks like chickenpox, but it's flea bites!" When I picked him up the nursery said "actually, it really does look like chickenpox to us" - so I took him to the doctors and they were right. It may not be the case with you since your DC is vaccinated but it was a good thing in our case that the nursery had more experience with chicken pox than I did.

I know you're all right - better safe than sorry! Just booked last minute annual leave and trying to look on the bright side now - it's lovely weather so will take DS to the park for a picnic. Thanks for the replies!

I know it's frustrating but your child is itchy and unwell.

That alone indicates nursery isn't the best place for him today.

On the other hand, you and your DH need to work (I get that) but your child won't understand that.

there are plenty of cf parents that send sick kids into my dd nursery, drives the staff mad especially when said parents refuse to collect said child until end of day, a day of d and v etc. THEN bring said child back next day. some have left the child and then driven off !! WTF ?

I agree with you - my son’s nursery sent him home because he had a slight heat rash and there were other children with chicken pox so it ‘might have been chicken pox’. Despite the fact he’s already had chicken pox they wanted me to pick him up - the ‘better safe than sorry’ can go too far!

Most things are infectious before the spots come out. What happened to the practice of putting all the kids together to catch things and get it over with?

oh god that's ridiculous especially since they know he has been vaccinated against it.

everyone saying he's unwell - come on hes got a few bites and a snotty nose.

do you take days off work for that? seriously?

there is a massive difference between an unwell child and one with a snotty nose (and lets face it its getting to hayfever season so that will be near on every child soon)

Chicken pox spots are very distinctive, with a central blister. They don't look like bites.

oh and practically every single child at DS nursery got chicken pox at the same time (including him!), because you're infectious before they see it, so even if he has got it (which he probably hasn't) he will have already given it to the other kids, so realistically keeping them off when the spots have come out makes shite all difference to anyone!

YANBU he's got bites and he's been vaccinated - this would piss me off no end. Use a bit of common sense!

If you're planning on going out I do hope it isn't chickenpox...

Vaccines don't make you immune.

meant to say , my dd is a nursery worker and sees a lot of sick kids coming in.

'Vaccines don't make you immune'

Umm..isn't that kind of the point of vaccines?

I appreciate it’s frustrating for you, but I think the nursery have a point.

He’s got spots that look similar to chicken pox ones, other symptoms that would fit with chicken pox, and he’s presumably been exposed to chicken pox recently if there’s been cases at nursery. They won’t want to take the chance that you’re wrong about it being insect bites and risk another chicken pox outbreak.

Umm..isn't that kind of the point of vaccines? Umm ... No. Vaccines actually do not stop you getting CP or the measles etc, however, what they do do is make those conditions less severe.

Vaccines strengthen your immune system by training it to recognise and fight against specific germs ... When you come across that virus in the future, your immune system rapidly produces antibodies to destroy it. In some cases, you may still get a less serious form of the illness, but you are protected from the most dangerous effects.

campaigns.health.gov.au/immunisationfacts/how-immunisation-works

It’s frustrating, 100%, but also a kind of necessity in that “better to be safe than sorry” way.

I had something similar with my youngest - he had papular eczema - which looks like little raised spots, doesn’t look like chicken pox but they were cautious none the less and called me to collect. Took me two GPs to diagnose properly and provide a letter and treatment. Pain in the arse but at least we know.

On the other hand when he was 10mths old I noticed a rash and held him back from daycare and took him to the GP. Turned out he had German measles - which he would’ve got from daycare. I told them immediately and suddenly a couple of kids were off because they’d shown symptoms of a rash and it was fobbed off as “probably a reaction to laundry detergent”. I’d have preferred them to have exercised their judgment better on the rash of the other kids in the first place to be honest.

Mine have been vax too. But at exactly the time of a CP outbreak my dc2 got a rash looked like CP or bedbugs! They were in a T shape limes.

@Nanny0gg believe me it's not chicken pox. There were dead mosquitoes on his bed sheet when he woke up itching with bites on holiday. He's had the same 5 bites on his face for 3 days now, no additional bites since we flew back yesterday morning.