AIBU to take child with chicken pox to an outside event today?

[summerlovingvibes]

Husband has one opinion and I have another. WWYD?

Day 5 of chicken pox for oldest child.
I have 2 other younger children with no signs as yet. But neither have had in the past so probably will get it.

Some scabs starting to form but also still some fresh spots.

Today is booked to go to an outside running event (for kids) this afternoon and we have paid £60 total for this with all children. It was booked mainly for the oldest one who loves to run, but the younger ones will also come and enjoy so I had to buy tickets for all. Outside run with parents, refreshments, few little stalls etc.

Unfortunately oldest one knows about event and has been excited all week - told him about it 2 days before CP started so didn't know to withhold the info.

Would you still take him? Planning on going just for the run, will try to avoid being too close to others. Don't know any other children / parents going so not going to be "chit chatting". Won't go to the stalls / mix and mingle. Will do run then leave.

Husband has one opinion and I have another. WWYD?

Where did you get your medical/science degree btw?

Which one did you go to, out of interest?

Our paediatrician advised against it as the immunity does not last, unlike naturally caught chicken pox immunity, which means vaccinated people are more likely to get it as adults which is worse.

How old are your children?

Our GP told me there were concerns about the longevity of the vaccine when my daughters were younger, but they're now in their late 20s and that is false information now with newer studies

I felt pretty rough, I thought I had flu for a day or two before the spots appeared.

I've had things that made me feel worse, though - a kidney infection and food poisoning. The food poisoning (campylobacter) was the worst I've ever felt, I think.

I looked dreadful, though, I had spots around one of my eyes, and they went all crusty and disgusting looking!

Chicken pox for most healthy children is a self limiting illness and not something you need to routinely vaccinate against. It’s valuable priming for a child’s immune system!

JCVI don't agree with you - they've recommended the CP vaccine be added to the UK childhood vaccination programme and it's expected that recommendation will be followed and it'll be added in the next year or two when it can be rolled out

Why are you repeatedly asking posters where they studied? Biomedical science teaching doesn’t vary from one university to another. Most of the discussion on this thread is very basic science.

And watch as then evvvvveryone suddenly gets it after saying for years how it’s not necessary….

And watch as then evvvvveryone suddenly gets it after saying for years how it’s not necessary….

Better than pretending the new information isn't available surely?

Plus one of the big changes since the original decision not to include it is that there is a (very successful) shingles vaccine. So the recommendation would likely have changed at some point anyway as we can now protect against shingles without subjecting children to CP

You need to stop making a fool of yourself.

The school of life, I'd imagine.

This.
FFS. Your child may be disappointed, but that's life.
Please don't put others at risk just so you can be out for a bit of fun.
It can be serious for anyone immune compromised or in older people.
Just not worth it.

I think the point is that these posters have no medical science training??

Just because the other two don't have any spots that have broken out yet, doesn't mean that they don't have it - could be infectious and not know it yet. They should stay at home too.

Aren’t you supposed to be explaining to me how chicken pox goes internal?

Um, sure. I'll mention that to her.

But in the meantime, I'll take her opinion over yours, since I've seen her adapt and synthesise new or changing information, while you seem incapable of absorbing any possibility outside your narrow parameters of knowledge.

Please don’t. It can be deadly for pregnant, vulnerable and elderly. When I was about 6 months pregnant I got shingles and I had to be hospitalised as the scabs on my arm blistered, went infected and turned into sepsis. Both me and my baby almost died.

I think it’s pretty selfish that you want to go for your own entertainment ‘needs’ with no regards for other people. Maybe think of other people and the risks and not only think of yourselves

People saying that not everyone can afford to get the chickenpox vaccine. I couldn't afford to get it for DD, I was on income support which in my country means you are not allowed to save any money (bank statements are handed in every month and if there's extra money in your account it is deducted from your support) and literally just covers the bare essentials. I still paid for DD to get the vaccination, I just went without so she would get it because that was my priority (though I only managed to get her the first dose at 140e, but the nurse said that was better than nothing. But then they introduced it to the vaccine schedule and she got the second dose for free a few years later). It is a big upfront cost but if you have the ability to save, unlike me at the time, then it should be doable for almost everyone saving just a little per week during pregnancy and first year of baby's life.

If I had been working at the time, it would have made even more sense to pay for it because it would be cheaper than the cost of taking time off work to look after her.

As pointed out before you didn't get shingles from someone with chickenpox.

Someone with shingles can pass on the chickenpox virus but on the other way around.

Chickenpox can take up to two weeks to come out on someone.
It's unrealistic to keep the other children isolated "just in case".

The incubation period is 10-21 days and they are infectious from 1-2 days before spots appear and until they crust over. You can't isolate the siblings 'just in case' as the incubation period is so long

My DC were referred to rheumatology by the GP and they were diagnosed with EDS at their first appointment with their consultant. They are still under the consultant but were referred on to OT, physio and cardiology for ongoing support with the challenges the EDS brings.

Yes but it’s not right to keep healthy children locked away. We know that from lockdown. OP can’t keep well children who may or may not be incubating chicken pox inside for two weeks.

Any contact with the public, especially children, comes with a risk of catching an illness.

But you could save £150, starting when you're trying for a baby, then over the following nine months, and then when the child is born until they are old enough for the vaccine.
Assuming two people are involved in making the baby, that's £75 each to chip in. There would be a need to save less than £5 per month.
I call bollocks that most people can't afford it, they just don't want to pay for it. It's a surprise cost for people who have done their due diligence perhaps.

You can get it at Boots or Super drug. We aren't talking a private consultation on Harley Street. People should pay. The NHS is on its knees.