DD has chicken pox....flying on Friday morning. WWYD?

[BunnyLebowski]

I had a call today from DD (3)'s nursery to come and collect her as she had what appears to be chicken pox.

I've thoroughly examined her... she has 3 faint spots on her neck (2 small, one bigger). She's had a sniffle for a few days but she's in fine form, no temperature and appetite fine. She's never sick and seems to have a pretty hearty immune system .

Here's the clincher. We're meant to be flying to Ireland on Friday to stay with my family .

I have NO experience of chicken pox. If her face remains clear (don't know if that's at all possible) and she's still relatively chipper by Friday then I'm tempted to stick a polo neck and trousers on her and go ahead.

Any advice?

See, I think in your situation I would be tempted to do the same thing. But I don't think I could convince myself to actually do it, as you don't know what vulnerable people are going to be on the plane. If you had a few more days I'd say fair enough but by Friday she'll be covered and possibly quite poorly. Day 2/3 seem to be the worst

When my DD had leukaemia I wouldn't have taken her on a plane anyway and I'm so glad I trusted my instincts as chickenpox can be fatal to anyone with lowered immunity. It's very dangerous in pregnancy too.

By Friday you'll know if it's chickenpox or not. Please don't put anyone else at risk - your travel insurance should cover this, if you have it.

No no no no!

You can't do that!

Annoying as it is you really shouldn't be flying with her if she has chicken pox.

It is so easily transmitted in a confined space and can be devastating to someone with a compromised immunity.

What are the rules about ferries and chicken pox?

I agree that by Friday you'll know if it's chickenpox or not. And, TBH, if it is chickenpox then the chances are it will be obvious from her face so you won't have the ethical dilemma.

If it is chickenpox and her face is clear I can understand the temptation to smuggle her onboard, but it really is a very shitty thing to do to anyone immunosuppressed who happens to be on the same flight.

Thanks for your input everyone. Plenty to think about. Will see how it develops.

Is there any chance at all that it could be something other than chicken pox?

Like I said I know diddly squat about the condition.

Presumably nursery say it's chickenpox because there is an outbreak at the moment? So that is the most likely cause. Obviously lots of other things can cause spots/a rash, but if you keep an eye on them it will soon become obvious if it is chickenpox - more spots appearing, and the first ones turning into little blisters, and probably a temperature too, though some children with a very mild case don't really seem to feel ill at all.

Have to agree with everyone else - if it is chickenpox, you can't get on a plane with her. Should be covered if you have travel insurance, but you will probably need a doctor's note to confirm.

Thanks exexpat.

No more spots or changes to the existing ones so far.

I'm looking at the ferry option as they don't seem to have such strict rules regarding this type of thing.

Nothing for it but to keep reassessing the situation as we go re: the flight.

Worst.....timing.....ever.

If it is chicken pox you also cannot get on a ferry with her. You would be putting other people at risk and CP for someone with lower immunity particularly can be very very dangerous, even fatal.

Google CP online and you will find pictures of what the spots look like, a bit like little blisters.

Even if you took the denial route and travelled, what about coming back? Chances are it will be in full 'bloom' by Monday so no denying it then!

Are you allowed to stay in your car? I'm sure whenever I have been on a ferry you have had to leave the car.

OP, why can you not postpone your trip to see your family? If it is chicken pox you would be bloody irresponsible and selfish to travel with your DD and put other people at risk.

Look, you can't go on a boat, you can't go on a ferry, you can't go to the shops, you can't go to public places, ok?

That is, IF its chickenpox and if it is there's no way shell be non contagious by Friday. I know its shite but its a lot more shit if you have someone immuno compromised in your family and you family trip means that they become very ill / die.

We're not booked to fly back till Saturday 4th February so presumably she'd be fine by then and we could get a doctor's certificate to prove it if required.

That's exactly how my DS started. You will definitely know one way or the other within the next 24 hours. You must not fly or take the ferry (and no you are not allowed to stay on the car deck) please. It would be a very selfish thing to do. She probably won't start feeling miserable until at least day 4 or 5 if it is CP.

You're not going to take her if she's got chikenpox though, are you??

So, OP, doesn't look like you are considering postponing your trip. Please please please get some more info on chicken pox and make an informed decision. If it is going round DD's nursery then it is highly likely it is chicken pox. You cannot go into public places when she is contagious, and that includes taking her to a doctors surgery where there will be lots of ill people who you will be putting at risk.

You will have to cancel if it is chickenpox.

I know that it is shit, but you would be putting others at risk if you took her out of the house.

And if it is chickenpox, then she may not be well enough to travel anyway.

Chalk it up to bad luck and book another flight.

Hope that it is something else though.

Ds2 caught chicken pox when he was 3 (first spots started on neck) and tbh his face by day 3 looked like someone had poured a tin of baked beans over it. There must have been over 20 spots on his little face - he looked like the worst case of teenage acne.

Ethically it would be wrong to take him on a plane but the reality is it would be unlikely that he would be allowed to check in.

I had very mild chickenpox, just a few spots barely a temperature. i gave it to my brother who was seriously ill with it . it's shit timing but better not to risk other people's health.

Wait till spots are out, get GP note, and claim on insurance. I only know because my eldest had chickenpox two weeks before we were due to fly a few years ago and I was worried that DS2 was going to catch it.

Insurance company wouldn't let us cancel without doctor's note. Doctor wouldn't give a note unless DS2 actually had chickenpox. She assured me that, as a 4 month old, EBF baby, the chances were he wouldn't get it anyway.

(Of course, what actually happened was, half an hour before due to land, I noticed a red mark on his neck. By the time we got to the hotel, he had three spots. By the next morning, he had 80 on his face alone...

Spent the two week holiday praying that they would scab over before we flew home.)

just imagine if you were pregnant and hadn't had chickenpox and someone sat their kid beside you with a polo neck and trousers on covering chickenpox..wouldn't feel very great would it?