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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think there is a nationwide epidemic of chicken pox?

74 replies

LucyEllensmummy · 01/03/2009 10:56

Everywhere i go i see "poxy" kids!!! There is a notice up in playschool that various children have it. I see them in the park, in the shops. OK, so its localised. But yesterday we go out to hastings, a two hour drive from us, in the next county and what do i see - "poxy" kids on the fairground rides!!

Am I just noticing it more because i have a DD of the age who is likely to contract it - I am very hey ho about it, and if she gets it she gets it. (might stock up on calomine lotion though, in case people start panic buying). Is it that CP usually is rife at this time of year, or is there actually an epidemic, and if so - why?

OP posts:
EsmeWeatherwax · 01/03/2009 22:31

All but three of the twenty kids in dd's nursery have had it since Christmas. She's one of the three...fingers crossed it stays that way since I'm rather pregnant...

Blondeshavemorefun · 01/03/2009 22:41

its going round my area

but

we cant seem to catch it

we have been to pox parties,kissed and slobered and drank/shared cups from infected child - but no spots

think we are immune to it,missed 5 lots now - most of charges friends/nursery have had it,but not us

TheMoistWorldOfSeptimusQuench · 01/03/2009 22:45

Lots of chicken pops here in Lewes (East Sussex)

Grendle · 01/03/2009 23:46

It's the time of year. You could always get the dcs vaccinated . Costs about 60 quid.

hellymelly · 01/03/2009 23:55

I had it at 12 and it was fine,annoying more than horrible.i only felt rough for the first two days.My dds had it last Spring (it is an early Spring disease usually)and the baby was worse as she had lots of spots on her vulva which made her really scream .But it was over quickly,thankfully.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 06/03/2009 20:38

Proof that it is much more prevalent atm than an average year
here

scroll down to bottom of page 8.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 06/03/2009 20:40

sorry, not bottom of page 8, midway on page 8.

CoteDAzur · 06/03/2009 20:44

It's a normal childhood disease - i.e. all children are supposed to have it. So yes, it would (and should) be 'epidemic'.

What seems to be problem?

YABU. But I'm not even sure what you are BU about.

changer22 · 06/03/2009 20:49

We've had loads here. Even children who'd previously missed out on catching it from their siblings seemed to get it from their classmates!

It really was a case of 'if you haven't had it yet, you will now'!

One of my DDs had scarlet fever at the same time too. DH started giving her medicine in a beaker (antibiotics, Piriton and Calpol)!

Waswondering · 06/03/2009 20:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

changer22 · 06/03/2009 20:52

Cool link OYBBK. Scarlet fever was on the up down south too.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 07/03/2009 08:02

It is cool isn't it not found it before. Now we will really know if stuff is going round! I was googling to see if our perceptions were right.

StewieGriffinsMom · 07/03/2009 08:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

OhYouBadBadKitten · 07/03/2009 08:08

oops!

oldraver · 08/03/2009 18:16

Ive seen non round here much and did mention to other Mums no-one has had it since DS'started pre-school in November

Two cases of Scarlet Fever in the last week though

paranoidmother · 08/03/2009 18:39

We all have roseola infantum here, was hoping for my son to have chicken pox as DD and I have had it a few years ago.

Bellebelle · 08/03/2009 18:46

In Edinburgh too and DD has come out in the pox spots today. She's fine but I'm now frantically trying to rearrange my plans for the week! Apparently winter/spring is most common time of year for it and there's an epidemic about every three years so maybe we're experiencing one just now. Hoping the weather gets better so that we can at least go out for walks!

Northernlurker · 08/03/2009 18:55

Has anybody had their child vaccinated in the UK? I would be happy to vaccinate dd3.

Ewe · 08/03/2009 19:13

Loads here in Surrey, pretty much all of DD's nursery and several of my friends kids have picked it up from playgroups etc.

thatsnotmymonster · 08/03/2009 19:17

Well it's highly contagious so it's usually widespread.

All 3 of my preschoolers had it before/over Christmas. We are near Edinburgh.

Wallace · 08/03/2009 19:29

Not here. Thee hasn't been an outbreak here since dd was little and she is 7!

nickytwotimes · 08/03/2009 19:34

NL, you can pay privately to have it done.

It peaks in Spring and Autumn apparently.

I am dreading it. I can't make the antibodies either by catching it or by immunisation, so when ds gets it, I will too. Bet that'll be fun...

Grendle · 08/03/2009 19:44

Northernlurker -I had my dd vaccinated immediately after her first birthday. Ds had almost been hospitalised when he had chicken pox and I couldn't bear to see another child go through such pain. It's mild for most, but there are potentially serious complications. That's why all other western nations vaccinate. I'd recommend it, and it's not that expensive. We paid £60 at our local private travel clinic.

Northernlurker · 08/03/2009 20:07

Thanks - am fretting a bit because my older two had it with no problems but I've just realised that we are due to go to a family wedding at the beginning of May and dh's cousin and his wife will be attending. The wife is immunosuppressed due to cancer treatment and I can't take the risk of infecting her. Obviously if dd3 has it in advance or has it obviously then it's ok but if it's around at nursery and she hasn't come out with what am I going to do? Obviously if cousin's wife has had CP she won't get that - but could she still catch shingles?

hazeyjane · 08/03/2009 20:11

I don't think you catch shingles from cp, it is just that once you have had cp, you can contract shingles (out of the blue IYSWIM!)