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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Chickenpox & Flying

60 replies

StorminaBcup · 19/12/2021 14:38

Posting for traffic. DS(5) has chicken pox, we’re on day 4 and due to fly early weds morning (22/12). NHS website says it’s non-contagious from day 5 but all other flight advice says you have to wait until last spot dries up.
Is it worth trying for a fit to fly note or should I just cancel? And if I cancel do we get the whole family holiday cost back or just for DS who can’t fly?
Bloody timing is awful.
YABU - get a fit to fly
YANBU - Cancel the holiday

OP posts:
shouldistop · 19/12/2021 20:36

Are you looking at the same nhs website as me op? No where does it say it's not contagious after 5 days.

Chickenpox & Flying
EatYourVegetables · 19/12/2021 20:38

If you’re on day 4 and it’s a mild case, by Wed all the spots might be crusted over. I would not cancel just yet.

Having said that, if there still are liquid filled spots on Tuesday evening, please don’t go.

Floundery · 19/12/2021 20:42

This reply has been withdrawn

Message from MNHQ: This post has been withdrawn

QueenofLouisiana · 19/12/2021 20:48

I came out on CP the day before I was due to fly home from visiting my dad in Australia. I needed to stay another week or so and produce a fit to fly certificate on arrival at the check in desk.
The certificate was given to me by a GP who checked my spots had scabbed over. As a bonus, I was seated alone as I looked awful and I guess the airline crew didn’t want to deal with other passengers being freaked out.
Oh, I almost certainly caught it on the flight out. So please don’t take a possibly contagious child on a flight.

Original poster
StorminaBcup · 19/12/2021 21:06

I’ve booked a private GP appt tomorrow and will see what they advise - I’ll need a letter to cancel and claim on the insurance anyway.

I’m so done with 2021!

OP posts:
tae19 · 19/12/2021 21:58

Chicken pox is highly contagious and air borne so a flight would be an awful idea. Absolutely you cannot go.

Waspsarearseholes · 19/12/2021 22:50

@StorminaBcup

I’ve booked a private GP appt tomorrow and will see what they advise - I’ll need a letter to cancel and claim on the insurance anyway.

I’m so done with 2021!

Oh I don't blame you, Lapland would have been a wonderful trip for your family. What a shitter it's been spoilt by bloody chicken pox!
Angel2702 · 19/12/2021 23:14

If you are day 4 now and not going until Wednesday I would say they will have scabbed by then. I don’t know anyone who wasn’t by day 6. You will need a fit to fly either way though. My daughter had chicken pox when we were in France and was fully scabbed over for ferry home on day 6.

Original poster
StorminaBcup · 19/12/2021 23:19

We fly very early on Wednesday morning. I’m really hoping we’re still able to go but I’m doubtful.

Precisely @Waspsarearseholes flipping chickenpox after booking a million covid tests 🙄

OP posts:
Kitkatchunkyplease · 19/12/2021 23:20

@HoboSexualOnslow have you considered getting the vaccine against it?

NeverForgetYourDreams · 19/12/2021 23:21

I caught chicken pox off a child on a plane when I went away and came out with for Xmas. I was 21. Worst Xmas ever

Please don't fly. This is what insurance is for.

bumbleymummy · 19/12/2021 23:22

If they’ve all blistered then fingers crossed you’ll be all scabbed over before Wednesday. I think you have the right idea seeing the doctor anyway - they can either reassure you or at lest give you a doctor’s note for the insurance. I really hope it works out for you! Flowers

HazelBite · 19/12/2021 23:24

My neice caught chicken pox on a flight out to the US. At airport going home she had two very visible scabbed over spots on her face and she was refused to board flight (Dsis had to stay with her in US whilst BIL and the Ds's travelled home!.
At the time BIL worked for BA but flights were on an American airline, he was/is of the opinion that a lot depends on the policy of the particular airline involved.

MsAgnesDiPesto · 19/12/2021 23:40

Don’t forget that most adults are unvaccinated so if they haven’t had it, you’d be consigning them to possible travel problems too, with a fever being a high possibility in adults with chickenpox, and the need for PCR tests and isolating till they get results, even if they’re not travelling. I had it in my twenties and it was bloody awful. DB brought it back from sixth form and he was so ill at 18 that he only just avoided being hospitalised.

Hope your poor little one is feeling better soon, but I really think your trip should be off.

bumbleymummy · 19/12/2021 23:44

Are you in the U.K. @MsAgnesDiPesto? We don’t routinely vaccinate against CP here and most people have chickenpox when they’re a child so are immune as adults.

CoffeeMuggins · 20/12/2021 05:48

Thank you for being considerate, OP. It really is a shitty thing to get, especially as an adult. I was 17 when I had it (my mum tried so hard to get me infected when little so I wouldn't have to go through it as an adult but failed) and I was quite ill with it for 2 weeks and dread to think how bad it would have been if I was older than that.

I hope they have all scabbed over by Wednesday and you get to go on your holiday.

FredaFox · 20/12/2021 06:20

I used to be a holiday rep, often had parents try and hide it at the airport going home. Airport staff always caught them and one parent and child had to stay behind until clear. If it were my own guests being sneaky who were adamant they would risk the airport I'd give check in a nite so they could casually ask to see all kids as they booked them in.
You can infect a while flight including vulnerable people, it's not worth it
You are doing the right thing

HaaaaaveyoumetTed · 20/12/2021 06:53

We were stuck abroad with a poxed child (NOT as fun as it sounds), all airlines said 10 days AND fit to fly notice. Sorry OP. Does DS know about Lapland?

Original poster
StorminaBcup · 20/12/2021 07:26

They don’t know, we haven’t told them due to covid uncertainty so they won’t know what they’re missing out on. And I don’t want to tell them, get them hyped up and then be refused on the flight as that would break their little hearts.

OP posts:
londonrach · 20/12/2021 07:29

It's when the spots dried up not day 5 so think you have to cancel. Poor timing but if still itching he prefer to be at home

SonicBroom · 20/12/2021 08:08

In my limited and non-clinical experience both kids’ spots had dried up by day 7 and they were fine to go out. Everyone different though and either way you’ll get some uncomfortable responses. I’d book in for a FTF certificate on Tuesday with a private GP if I were you. Agree with PP that you shouldn’t be wasting NHS resources at a time like this.

Original poster
StorminaBcup · 20/12/2021 08:17

Thanks @SonicBroom already sorted as mentioned further up thread!

OP posts:
Notdoingthis · 20/12/2021 08:22

Oh you poor things! Yes see the doctor and claim on the insurance. What terrible luck! My dd had chicken pox and kept getting new spots for 11 days! Cost us a fortune in time off work.

Original poster
StorminaBcup · 20/12/2021 08:44

One thing to thank covid for I guess…being able to work from home!

OP posts:
liveforsummer · 20/12/2021 09:07

I'd never heard of the day 5 thing, perhaps that's the earliest it might be all crusted over, dd was still getting new spots past day 5 though so definitely still contagious and wouldn't have been allowed to fly. When my friends dd had pox though the insurance only paid for the dd and one adult. Might be different though as they were away when it happened so they had to pay for nee flights and accommodation but the other adult was expected to accompany the other dc. She also did have a certificate but was made to see an airport dr who disagreed so they had got all the way there thinking they were flying home. Again maybe not procedure in the uk but worth looking in to

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