To not even bother packing - Chickenpox?

[Eyeofthelamp]

My son was sent home from school on Thursday with the dreaded pox. He’s absolutely fine, but we’re due to
go on holiday in just over a week. I know I can get a fit to fly note before we go, BUT my little girl hasn’t had pox yet. She currently shows no sign of getting them but she will, won’t she? I know I can’t cancel our holiday due to exposure, but I also don’t want to go with the impending risk of her getting them abroad and then being stuck in another country for a week on my own, whilst my husband and son have to
go home.

If we cancel we stand to lose £4.5k, but I just can’t bring myself to even start packing. AIBU? What would you do in these circumstances? I’m feeling pretty crap as this is our only chance to get away this year due to other commitments, so it would be another full year without a holiday if we can’t go 😔

@GRex - not Uk. Someone above said the recommendation changed in Nov 23. I last asked around 2 years ago. So like I said, I will ask him again now in case the recommendations have changed. We have an appointment for a different vaccine in Sept so I will see then

I’d also suggest between now and your holiday keep dd out of the house away from ds as much as possible. It’s not a given she’ll catch it.

Ah that happened to us. DD2 came out with it 2 weeks to the day after DD1. Little one was so ill. We went later in the summer but it wasn’t the original hotel sadly. Poor you.

He was wrong even 2 years ago. Also, “the main hospital in the country”?!

@CountryQueen - yes. Like equivalent to Great Ormond street hospital in London. You would call that one of the main children’s hospitals in England wouldn’t you? Not like Margate A and E.

He was wrong even 2 years ago. Also, “the main hospital in the country”?!

The JCVI recommendation in the Uk was only made in Nov 23, so even then in the UK it wasn't being recommended officially, unless you had health issues, because of the shingles fears.

You've misunderstood this, it has been explained but perhaps you missed it. The concern was about adults getting chickenpox due to not getting exposed and catching chickenpox as a child; people can ONLY get shingles if they have had chickenpox. JCVI have explained for many years that vaccine hesitancy was the issue and not the vaccine.

I haven't misunderstood anything. In 2009 the JCVI recommended against a UK wide vaccination programme due to the studies at the time suggesting it could lead to an increase risk of shingles in adults.

This was their stance until 2023 when they changed it to say that the new studies proved that not to be the case and it was now recommended.

Completely irrelevant to the OP who has already said there are no appointments available to them locally?

What’s that got to do with the dangerously false information given by the doctor 2 years ago?

The OP has booked an appointment for tomorrow

Get her in for private injection at local boots or pharmacy today / tomorrow after first vax they are 90% covered

DS got spots on the Friday but was back at nursery following Thursday so might all be fine if you can stop the little one from getting it by luck or vaccine. He wasn't even that grotty with it to be honest.

Don't cancel.

If she gets it just before you are due to fly, see your GP who will give you a not fit to fly note. you can then claim on your travel insurance.

If she doesn't develop it in the next week or so I would just go.

Where I live it’s called University hospital, there are a couple of them and they would be the main ones just as @Caspianberg says. We’re not all in the UK. Our main one is ranked one of the best in the world, and they would not recommend to vaccinate children for chicken pox either.

Good luck! It worked for us when we got 3yo DS vaccinated two days after heavy exposure. We were also due on holiday. Hope that it stays away and you enjoy your holiday!

Our paediatrician said exactly the same thing when i asked about the chicken pox vaccine.

Of the top 10 ranked university hospitals, karolinska, Berlin, Zurich…all recommend the chickenpox vaccine for children.

What’s that got to do with the dangerously false information given by the doctor 2 years ago?

He wasn't giving "dangerously false information" - saying they didn't give it because they believed it was risky for adults was the thinking at the time. That's exactly the same as the advice would have been in the UK 2 years ago if that poster had asked.

It’s one of those, and I have talked to several who wouldn’t give it to their own children. I’m not against the vaccine either, I wish I had given it to my own children as they were absolutely covered with it.

The shingles risk was supposed to be due to exposure to wild chickenpox (for a person who'd already had chickenpox) that would boost an immune response and help stop shingles from developing.

The theory was that without the chickenpox exposure (due to kids being vaccinated and not catching chickenpox) that adults would no longer get the immune boost from exposure and would be more likely to develop shingles.

I think studies have not shown an increase in shingles in countries where CP vaccine is given so it can now be added to the vaccination schedule here

@Eyeofthelamp try phoning chemists or popping in. Exposure is different to regular appointments. My local one squeezed my DH on for post exposure vaccine due to the time frame. Worth doing to even shorten the duration if you’re away.

@Eyeofthelamp sorry didn’t see you had managed to get an appointment for her

Hopefully now that you have an appointment that will do the trick.

My eldest (now 28) has never had chickenpox dispute my younger two having it twice each. I guess he’s just immune 🤷‍♀️.