Would you expose your kid to chicken pox a week before Christmas?

[Stuckinthemiddle1990]

YABU - No, she might be miserable and ruin her (and your) Christmas.

YANBU - Yes, get it out the way.

Need some perspective according to DH!

I also agree with @TollgateDebs it’s not fair on those with compromised immune systems immune suppressed because of arthritis or autoimmune diseases ect ect it’s hard enough trying to avoid covid and flu ! Plus I remember my son was very Ill with chicken pox he was older daughter had it Xmas day and it was awful x

As a slight aside, I’d really recommend the private chicken pox vaccine. It’s incredibly safe and has been used for decades in the rest of the world including America, Canada, Australia etc.
It’s some of the best money I have spent on my children! They never had it and I never had the stress of worrying they might catch it.

Please don’t deliberately infect your child with chicken pox. People think it’s always a mild illness but it can be awful. My usually healthy children were floored by it for months afterwards, and it kicked off repeated tonsillitis in my elder dd and I think began DS’s eczema problems. Both issues still effect them 6 years later. I had younger DD 2 years after the older two had CP, and DS brought it home again from nursery. He was really unwell, but didn’t come out in spots as he’d already had it but carried it home to 6mo dd. She was also very poorly and was absolutely covered and, as she was still wearing a nappy/lying down a lot, she got the most awful scars, which she still has 4 years later.

Consider the CP vaccine. I was going to get it for youngest DD but she was too little then contracted it anyway. I’m really hoping she had such a horrendous dose that she won’t get it again, as some people say you can if you get it under a year old.

I have shingles at the moment on my face. My eye is swollen and it is very painful. I can hardly see out of it.

I am on a shedload of antiviral tablets and eye gel.

It is truly awful! 😥

Does DH know he is risking shingles for you and him as well?

My dd recently had it and was so ill it was really awful, took about 4 weeks to be feeling ok again. Definitely don’t, totally selfish.

This.

A healthy kid in my sons school nearly died from complications. It’s rare but it happens.

Boots do a vaccination for £70 other private hospitals offer it if you google.

He’s happy to make his young daughter potentially seriously ill over Christmas, a period of time when the NHS is always stretched, never mind icy conditions and nurses going on strike, because otherwise ‘it’s not fair’ that you’ve gone out and he hasn’t? He’s not just being unreasonable. He’s being a massive fucking arsehole and a bloody shit father. What kind of parent does that?

Tell him to go out if he wants to, but to make sure he takes his toothbrush and some clean pants with him, and you’ll see him in the New Year.

This isn't true - you don't catch shingles from someone with chicken pox. (Though someone with shingles can give chicken pox to someone without immunity).

Not this.

If he’s already had chicken pox, he could contract Shingles. He could then infect anyone who hasn’t had Chicken Pox previously with Chicken Pox. www.nhs.uk/conditions/shingles/

No flipping way.

chicken pox is miserable but mild for most children, but occasionally has very serious consequences. Why would you deliberately expose your child to that ever, let alone when the NHS is creaking at the seams.

yabu

I would not intentionally expose dc to chicken pox (or any other nasty disease) ever.

Bloody hell, why would you do this at ALL, never mind at Christmas?

Incubation is 14 to 21 days, so if they were exposed to it now they wouldn't get it for Christmas.
However I wouldn't knowingly expose them to.it ar any time of the year, it can be very nasty

No , I wouldn’t. Who is going to look after her: play with her when she’s miserable, wake up at nights if she can’t sleep because of itching, take her to a doctor if something, look out for antibiotics if needed?
My DD got chicken pox just after Xmas, it’s mild but DH hasn’t got it as a child so I ended up looking after her 100% - it was very miserable!!! Friend’s children got it at the same time and it’s really bad and one of them ended up with shingles, very unpleasant.
Of course you can’t avoid it when you don’t know but I won’t expose deliberately and would avoid if possible.

This is completely different, your husband who probably has a decent level of immunity is being exposed not your daughter. In my view that’s fine

I would never knowingly expose my children to any illness.
If they happen to catch it otherwise, thats different.

You can't pass on chickenpox indirectly. Otherwise no parents of poxy kids could ever go out without spreading it! Agree he needs to change clothes when home though, just in case.

Oh please don't do it. It's horrible illness, you might ruin her and your Christmas. I was only 2 when I had mine and still remember this feeling. I was having spots everywhere, it was so itchy and I was having high temperature. Took my mum 2 hours twice a day to put a cream on every one of them.

GP services are falling over in many areas at the moment with the onslaught of various viruses and strep. I would not want to knowingly risk not being able to get timely help for my child at present.

You cannot catch shingles from someone who has CP. You can catch CP from someone who has shingles. Shingles occurs in people who have previously had CP. When they get run down, immunosuppressed or after an illness.

I know a child that died when it went to his brain. Go get the vaccine as recommended by the world health organisation. The us and Australia provide it for free

Another vote for vaccination.
Both of my kids have been done. Yes, it costs money but I would prioritise it over Christmas tat etc

Actually, you can. Fomites. Have a look at the NHS website.

I cannot understand why you will want to expose your kids to chickenpox especially so close to Christmas or any other time to be honest.