Sent to school with chickenpox

[figandmaple16]

Someone sent their little spawn into school with chickenpox. How do I know that? Because what kind of half wit parents don't know their child has chickenpox but their son does know he has chickenpox and tells his classmates he does?
Doesn't make sense to me!
Now here I sit with my son and my toddler, day 3 of being admitted to the hospital (minimum of 7 days), IV meds and drips, his uveitis -where last week it was quiet- is now flaring and he needs 2 hourly eye drops and two additional stingy drops per day. And we can't stay over, we have to come back and fourth for every drip, 12 midnight then again at 5 am and throughout the day as I can't sleep in here with my toddler and my son who has terrible night terrors.
The school have been informed on more than one occasion AND during a meeting that he is vulnerable to infection and we need to be informed. While these ejits send their kkid in knowing he's got chickenpox without a care and not Informing the school.
What would you guys do? I'm FURIOUS. My son's now in pain, admitted to hospital, missed his holidays and Easter, needing lots of treatment and meds and made his chronic condition flare up.

Go swinging a baseball bat around the playground.

No seriously though I sympathise my ds7 can get extremely unwell and end up in hospital with just a simple stomach bug. It makes me so angry that some parents are so neglectful.

That's such a shame, and really poor on behalf of the parents.

It's probably not much consolation, but even without that child coming in there would still have been a high chance of your son getting it, chickenpox has a really long incubation period even before spots show up, and tends to rip around classes.

Appreciate it's too late for your son, but for others reading it, chickenpox vaccination is suitable for a large majority of children with chronic illnesses (though of course not all and should be checked with a healthcare professional) and though it's not yet on the NHS it is available at pharmacies in most places. It's not cheap but usually worth it.

So sorry they’re so unwell and fingers crossed for a quick recovery.

Obviously the parents shouldn’t have done it, if nothing else I feel for the poor kid being sent in unwell. However, chickenpox has an incubation period of up to 3 weeks so it’s unlikely to have made much difference because your DC had already been exposed multiple times before this kid even came down with symptoms.

I wish they’d add the vaccine to the schedule here. I used to live in the US and it’s unheard of for kids to get it there; chickenpox is basically confined to history. If your toddler doesn’t have chickenpox this time, I can’t tell from your post if they do too, then you should strongly consider getting it privately.

Chickpox vaccine is a live vaccine and my son can't have any live vaccines..

They are allowed in if its the end of the chicken pox and they've scabbed over- was it that maybe?

My DH can't make immunity to chicken pox and last time he came in contact with it, ended up with meningitis. It makes me rage when people risk other people's lives for the sake of a few days' isolation.

Some people at so fucking selfish.

I know a family that took their kids on plane knowing they had cp as they didn’t want to miss their holiday. They thought they were so fucking clever.

DD doesn’t have any condition that makes cp dangerous for her but she was seriously ill with it when she was a toddler. For most it’s a mild childhood disease, but for some it’s deadly.

Do you have a class WhatsApp group. I'd completely call them out using names and explain what the impact is on here and how selfish it is. I'd also explain to the parents the severity of the situation with your kid so they can at least let you know. If no groupmyou should request the school email the parents about your child so there is awareness.

Id be wanting the school to have stern works with the parents. Can't do much about the incubation perked. But knowingly sending them in as appalling.

That's shit. My ds had CP last year. Only a few vague blisters/spots but a couple that definitely looked like the pox. Took him to the GP. Medical student said pox, GP came to check said not pox and can go to school that day. I kept him off because I knew damn well it was the pox and sure enough the next day he was covered in blisters and spots. People are idiots, some GPs included in that. Some people are morally deficient and don't think of anyone but themselves.

I'd put something on the class WhatsApp and let rip. I hope your little one is better soon

I inadvertently sent DD in with chickenpox, she had no spots in the morning but quite a few by lunchtime. She did say she had a tummy ache but as she's autistic and says that when she doesn't want to go in ( at least twice a week) I didn't believe her.
I felt terribly guilty even though I know she got it from school as she was the fourth in her class to that week.

My 8 yo has just been off with chickenpox. It’s ran rampant through our school. A third of the children have had chickenpox over the last month. Mostly in lower/ nursery years. I sent DD in with a couple of spots as she’d had chicken pox previously (mild dose) and she’d been playing outside and I assumed the midgies had woken up. Next day she had lots of spots and I realised.

My point is parents don’t always know. Children can seem fine but an hour later be covered in spots. Also chickenpox has a long incubation up to 3 weeks and you are contagious before the spots appear. Whilst I feel for you and your child he could of caught it off another child in the middle of March who didn’t have a single spot at the time. I really wouldn’t name and shame the spotty one on WhatsApp.

Really all the school can do is remind parents of the rules regarding communicable diseases. I really do think chicken pox vaccine should be part of regular vaccine schedule which would hopefully protect people like your son as it would greatly reduce transmission.

I hope he gets better soon.

I'm sorry you and you son are going through this. I hope he gets well soon.

Unfortunately with CP after a week to 10 days kids are allowed back to school if the pox have scabbed over. They are considered no longer contagious. This may be the case with this kid. CP is also very contagious and kids tend to be the most contagious 2 days before spots appear. The school may be having a outbreak. It would be hard to tell exactly where the infection came from.

I know it's hard and fusterating that you guys are in this position but taking it out on some poor kid or parents that may not have infected yours isn't called for. There's absolutely no way you can be sure where this infection has come from.

It's a childhood virus that most have us have had and most will continue to have. If you're angry direct it towards the NHS, alot of families can not afford the nearly 200 quid for the vaccine.

If the child is old enough to know he has chickenpox, then surely that indicates the parents are aware? I mean, I get sending in a child complaining of mild generic symptoms like a tummy ache to see if they perk up, and then the next day seeing the rash and realising. But sending in a child who knows they have it? That’s a different ball game. I would also call that out on the class WhatsApp group (but I am not the best person to advise on diplomatic responses).

I really hope your DS starts to feel better soon.

Obviously it's not ok to send a child to school if you know they have chickenpox. My DD has it at the moment and she's been off of course.

But I noticed the spots on her back one evening, so they'll have appeared during the day at nursery (when obviously I had no idea). And it's contagious for a day or two before spots appear. So even with everyone doing what they're supposed to, it will run through a class.

The best thing would be for the NHS to add it to the vaccine schedule. Then children like your son would be protected by everyone else not catching it.

I think it's crazy they don't just vaccinate all kids snd protect those who can't be with herd immunity
i do feel for the parents of the very sick child but I also feel for those of the child sent in with the pox
you are making a lot of assumptions by taking the word of a child as gospel
the child could have been sent in with crusted pox (which is allowed) so of course would be saying yes these are my chicken pox etc but the parents didn't casually send a kid in with a contagious disease knowingly or anything

also whilst spotty you aren't actually that contagious the MOST viral shedding is actually 1-2 days before the first spot when it spreads like wildfire and is most likely the point your child caught it

if your child was off less than 2 weeks after the spotted child had contact then that wasn't the point of infection

if I were you I'd ask the school to re- affirm the rules and I'd post in the school what's app about just reminding people to be reasonable

Chicken pox is really infectious pre spots which is why it’s so contagious. Chicken pox went round the school last year. No problem thought I as all the children have had it. Dd had 1 spot and declared that they had the dreaded pox. I assured her that she’d had them already and was probably just an insect bite and to get dressed for school. An hour later she had dozens of spots and stayed home. Had they been a bit later in appearing she’d of been in school.

I think it’s a bit unfair to blame anyone in particular as could easily have caught them from another child due to long incubation period .

I'm sorry to hear of your little ones illness but yes chicken pox is contagious up to 21 days before it appears & extremely contagious a day or 2 before. The children are then contagious until the very last spot scabs over but once that happens they are fine. Usually it takes 4/5 days. So they can be in school covered in spots but once scabbed over they're fine.
It does come on very quick. I mind a little one who only had it a few weeks ago. She arrived at my house at 8am in great form. Went to playschool. I collected her at 12:30, she's still in great form. Had her dinner no problem. Around 2pm she started to get a bit lethargic. I checked her temp & it was 37.5 so not strictly a temp but a little warm. I let her lie on the sofa. By 3pm she didn't want any food but otherwise was fine but I noticed a spot on her forehead. Checked her torso & she had very faint spots appearing. She had maybe 5. I sent photos to her mam & in the time it took to do that she had maybe 5 more. They literally appeared in front of my eyes. It was crazy.

Doesn't seem to be much point in posting on the class WhatsApp 8 months later.

That's fair, though this is an old post and I ended up getting an apology from the school as they should have informed me that it was rampant in the school at the time.

I don't see why this post is getting traction now. The school ended up giving me an apology as they had overlooked and not logged his medical needs properly and then didn't inform me that it had been rampant in the school for a month already.

Totally understand you point. At the time of the post I was exhausted, sleep deprived and very sad for my son - understandable! And I guess I needed to vent. I got an apology from the school as they hadn't put down his medical needs properly and didn't inform me of the pox making it's rounds through the school!