Page 3 | To hunt down these bastards who exposed my son to chicken pox

littleredbumblebee · 2024-09-02T21:48:14+00:00

User name changed as outing went on a caravan holiday last week for 5 nights and my son who is 11 played with some kids from other families and had a great time- all good On the last night one of the smaller boys was running around with no shirt on and he has spots, one of the other families asked and his mum said oh he has chicken pox but we though getting away would do him good. I told her my son had never had chicken pox and said I bloody hoped my son was not going to come down with them. One of the other parents also said they should not have brought the kid. Basically it ended up with them going inside the caravan in a huff. The next day we all left So today the day before my son is use to start at high school he woke up covered in spots and now has chicken pox and won’t be in for his first week at high school. Tonight he is now crying saying he won’t name any friends now and he won’t know his way around and no amount of comforting will calm him down. Very few kids for his school are going to this high school and he is so upset he will have missed out on making friends. We have been in touch with his form tutor who has been great and has said they will support him and catch him up but I could bloody scream. How can some people be so bloody selfish.

Beezknees · 02/09/2024 23:16

StolenChanel · 02/09/2024 23:13

Cross posted with you @Allie47! Clearly I’m not the only one who didn’t know.

(Also, £150 is not “basically nothing” for a lot of people…)

It's not but if you can't afford it you have to deal with the potential consequences. As somebody who has been skint most of my life I've accepted that.

TashaTudor · 02/09/2024 23:18

SeashellCandle · 02/09/2024 23:15

Yes op why don't you go back in time and get your son the CP vaccine?! The one that isn't on the immunisation list and costs £££. Some posters on here are unbelievable.

What's genuinely baffling is the sheer entitlement of people who think if they can't have it for free then they would simply cut off their nose to spite their face. It's a one time investment into lifetime protection for your child against a potentially serious virus (or a disruptive one at the very least). Nobody can claim they cannot afford the hundred pounds or so if they REALLY WANTED to. If your car breaks down or you want a new household gadget or you get a fine or you end up spending an extra night on holiday, then you manage to find the money.

If you look at it logically, a child coming down with chicken pox might mean at least 2 weeks of family disruption. One family member may not be able to work and would have a loss of income that easily equals or exceeds the cost of the vaccine. If a child comes down with chicken pox before a holiday and things get cancelled, you also lose far more than the cost of the vaccine. It's a no brainer really.

Ah yes those families shopping at food balls and having their wages propped up by universal credits or relying on benefits should pay out £150 for something that's not really needed

StolenChanel · 02/09/2024 23:18

Lovelysummerdays · 02/09/2024 23:13

I do, they are quite frowned upon now. That said when DS had chickenpox he was playing in the garden and someone popped by with their child. I explained that normally I’d invite them in but as we were pox- ridden best not. Her reply was she wasn’t worried as it’d actually be quite convenient to catch them now as they’d had their summer holiday and was wfh for the rest of the summer. I was a bit bemused but the kid popped in the garden for a quick play.

Youngest got chicken pox at a really inconvenient time and missed out on something they’d been training for, for months which was a real shame. I do think it’s better to get it done and over with or vaccinate as Sod’s law it alwayx crops up when least convenient.

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Why are they frowned upon now? I’m from a place where most people still do them so wonder why it’s viewed badly outside of my community? Both of my DCs had it very young so it’s not something on my radar much.

JulianFawcettMP · 02/09/2024 23:18

Rocksaltrita · 02/09/2024 23:14

£150 is £3/week for just one year. Definitely worth it. Awful timing for the poor lad but could so easily have been avoided. People need to take responsibility for their health and that of their DC. If there’s a vaccine, have it! So much better than the alternative.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240229-why-dont-some-countries-vaccinate-against-chickenpox#:~:text=While%20numerous%20countries%20have%20since,as%20a%20routine%20childhood%20jab.

This is so patronising. I. don't have children and could easily afford the vaccine if I did. However many people have different circumstances and not through any fault of their own. £150 is a lot of money when this country needs food banks. Open your eyes.

flaxensunshine · 02/09/2024 23:19

I didn’t know there was a vaccine either but my kids are grown up so maybe it’s a new thing!
even so I would never give them a pointless vaccination. Kids get ill at all kinds of inconvenient moments but chicken pox is generally mild and worst case is itchy!

AllTheChaos · 02/09/2024 23:19

Shingles is horrendous, and only contracted if you’ve had chickenpox before in your life. To the posters saying it’s only £3 a week for a year to pay for the private vaccine: (a) not everyone knew about the vaccine (as evidenced by replies on here); and (b) that is still beyond the reach of many, such as those reliant on food banks etc. I was going to get DD vaccinated before she started school, but she caught chicken pox at nursery. Foolishly I had assumed no one would send an infectious child to nursery, and by the time I realised I was wrong it was too late.

Seashellsbytheseashire · 02/09/2024 23:19

Sorry but by 11 there was never going to be a good time for him to catch it and you know it will be much more unpleasant. If that boy hadn't been there it might have been for his gcses or leavers prom. By that age it's unfortunate but you should have had him vaccinated to prevent this.

Beezknees · 02/09/2024 23:20

JulianFawcettMP · 02/09/2024 23:18

This is so patronising. I. don't have children and could easily afford the vaccine if I did. However many people have different circumstances and not through any fault of their own. £150 is a lot of money when this country needs food banks. Open your eyes.

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As somebody who could not have afforded the vaccine when my DS was young, that's life and you have to deal with it! No point in whingeing about it, life is harder when you can't afford things, you have to accept that.

Haroldwilson · 02/09/2024 23:20

Beautiful3 · 02/09/2024 23:12

Better he catches it now, than as an adult. Because shingles is far more painful and more likely to be admitted to hospital.

You get shingles as a result of having had chickenpox. The virus stays in your spinal fluid and can result in shingles if you're run down.

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 02/09/2024 23:21

Chicken pox is one of those things where the earlier you get it, the better.

If my child got to school age without having had it I would get them vaccinated.

AllTheChaos · 02/09/2024 23:21

Bad complications of chicken pox (for those saying it’s harmless) can include scarring (school friend had bad facial scarring from
it); pneumonia, damage to eyesight, brain damage, and more.

Galoop · 02/09/2024 23:21

I think everyone on here is being unreasonable. Sure, Chicken pox isn't a big deal and it's good to get it over with, but taking your kid on holiday and purposely exposing people is the ultimate dick move! What a cunt

Haroldwilson · 02/09/2024 23:21

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 02/09/2024 23:21

Chicken pox is one of those things where the earlier you get it, the better.

If my child got to school age without having had it I would get them vaccinated.

Erm, not really. My 3yo nearly died.

steff13 · 02/09/2024 23:22

BabyDoge · 02/09/2024 23:08

Why do people keep saying it's not expensive? It's £150 for both doses, that's a lot of money!

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It's not a small amount of money. But if you don't get the vaccine then you have to expect that at some point your child is going to get it from one of the many other children whose parents didn't get them the vaccine. It's just one of those things. If he hadn't gotten it from this child he probably would have gotten it from someone else eventually.

ThisBlueCrab · 02/09/2024 23:22

StolenChanel · 02/09/2024 23:18

Why are they frowned upon now? I’m from a place where most people still do them so wonder why it’s viewed badly outside of my community? Both of my DCs had it very young so it’s not something on my radar much.

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Because it is far more widely known that chicken pox van leave some children severely ill and kills a lot more than you first think.

Anyone immunosuppressed is at extreme risk etc. So it has been frowned upon for well over 20 years to hold pox parties.

JulianFawcettMP · 02/09/2024 23:22

@Beezknees Fair enough but that is not the attitude of the post I replied to

ShamblesRock · 02/09/2024 23:22

Oh OP that's rubbish timing, I hope he is soon feeling better and settles into his new school.

However, what the hell with all the smug posts about vaccines, how on earth are they of any benefit to the OP? Just sticking the boot in.

Nanny0gg · 02/09/2024 23:23

Rocksaltrita · 02/09/2024 22:57

Why didn’t you have him vaccinated? Hardly costs anything and standard in many countries.

Because it isn't standard in the UK?

StolenChanel · 02/09/2024 23:23

My goodness, some of the money-related comments on here are really gross.

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 02/09/2024 23:24

Haroldwilson · 02/09/2024 23:21

Erm, not really. My 3yo nearly died.

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I'm really sorry to hear that.

It is unusual to get it that badly at such a young age though. Generally speaking it is worse the older you are when you get it, which is why so many people try to expose their young children to it. Getting vaccinated is a better option these days though.

Beezknees · 02/09/2024 23:24

StolenChanel · 02/09/2024 23:23

My goodness, some of the money-related comments on here are really gross.

They're not. It's reality.

Sparklybanana · 02/09/2024 23:25

I think if he's high school age then yes it sucks to miss the first week, but I'd rather that then get it older and really suffer. My brother missed out getting it in childhood and it was awful.
I do think people should be keep away when contagious or at least warn you but you're being a bit melodramatic. First week of high school will barely make a dent and friends are made and broken plenty of times. I met my best friend after a few months and neither of us were new starters. We then made friends with the rest of the group over the next few years.

Nanny0gg · 02/09/2024 23:25

Beezknees · 02/09/2024 23:09

Really silly comment. If you're concerned about a particular illness and there is a vaccine available, get it. It's common sense.

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If you can afford the £150!!

What is wrong with all of you?

That child's stupid parents should have kept him at home!

MonsteraMama · 02/09/2024 23:25

SeashellCandle · 02/09/2024 23:15

Yes op why don't you go back in time and get your son the CP vaccine?! The one that isn't on the immunisation list and costs £££. Some posters on here are unbelievable.

What's genuinely baffling is the sheer entitlement of people who think if they can't have it for free then they would simply cut off their nose to spite their face. It's a one time investment into lifetime protection for your child against a potentially serious virus (or a disruptive one at the very least). Nobody can claim they cannot afford the hundred pounds or so if they REALLY WANTED to. If your car breaks down or you want a new household gadget or you get a fine or you end up spending an extra night on holiday, then you manage to find the money.

If you look at it logically, a child coming down with chicken pox might mean at least 2 weeks of family disruption. One family member may not be able to work and would have a loss of income that easily equals or exceeds the cost of the vaccine. If a child comes down with chicken pox before a holiday and things get cancelled, you also lose far more than the cost of the vaccine. It's a no brainer really.

The ignorance and privilege of this post 😬

Mate properly skint people aren't going on fucking holiday or buying gadgets or owning cars. For a lot of people on this planet no, pulling £150 out of their arsehole isn't an option.

Justlurking10 · 02/09/2024 23:25

Aww that is proper crap timing- Hope he is not suffering too much with it.

When my son had CP the 2nd time he was absolutely covered everywhere and really suffering. We found putting bicarbonate of soda in his bath a few times a day really helped with the itching and it dried out the spots quickly. They had scabbed over in a couple of days and he could go back to school then.