Holiday with chickenpox

[monkey117]

Hi, I'm wondering what everyone else would do in my situation as I am finding it so hard to make a decision. My family are due to go on holiday to Menorca next Monday. My 3 year old DD1 came down with chickenpox last Thursday so by Monday she will be on Day 12 since the rash started. We are currently on Day 7 and most of the spots seem to be scabbing over so I am hopeful that by next Monday she will no longer be contagious and safe to fly. I plan to go to the doctors this Friday to ask whether he can give us a 'safe to fly' letter just in case we experience any problems. However, I am assuming that it will be highly likely that DD2 (18 months old) has caught chickenpox from her sister and will currently be at the incubating stage. Therefore it is very likely that she will come out with the rash while we are on holiday, most likely during the first week of our 2 week holiday. I am finding it so difficult to make a decision as to whether we should try to cancel the holiday, however if my DD1 is no longer contagious and DD2 doesnt yet have chickenpox at the time of our flight then we may not get our holiday paid for by insurance if we cancel. But the thought of travelling abroad with my 18 month old highly likely to come out with chickenpox is also not very appealing! Any opinions would be greatly received as I am so stressed right now and dont know what to do for the best! Thank you.

Do we really need to be made aware? Anyone with any sense knows you dont go out when you have chicken pox. That's nothing new it was that way when I got it over 20 years ago

No amount of posters in drs is going to stop selfish people being selfish

I have some friends who are otherwise very sensible who suggest cp parties and suchlike. I didn't realise how serious it was until i read threads on here and I'm not daft. There is an attitude that it's just a common childhood illness and not serious.

Part of the reason for not promoting the serious may be because if the risks were properly highlighted calls for vaccination may be greater?

I mean I read threads on here and went and did my research. I don't do everything MN tells me

After reading a couple of other threads on MN yesterday all related to chicken pox then I'd say yes Sirzy I think generally we do need to have it very well publicised and many just do not think about what they are doing. I read plenty yesterday that rang alarm bells.

My post that states 'whilst they have the chicken pox' and can be taken in any manner you like. I actually meant that you cannot keep them indoors the whole time (i.e. even when they have scabbed over!), not necessarily at the contagious stage of the illness. As I've already stated earlier, people will pick out what they need in order to start an argument. It has been picked up by one poster and all the rest have followed in her footsteps to do start a slanging match on a thread.

I think there could definitely be more awareness.

I was never under any illusion that any viral illness can cause problems in pregnancy. I didn't realise that chicken pox was one of the more serious (i would.have said that rubella is...and that may actually still be true but because of a specific vaccination program for girls and more recently MMR the risks of contracting it are minimal).

Having said that I still think that there is more scaremongering than is necessary on this forum when it comes to pregnancy and chicken pox. In reality very few pregnant women will contract chicken pox due to childhood acquired immunity. Of those that do the risk to foetus in first trimester is statistically small (but conceed that the effects are potentially severe).

As with other viruses of the herpes family the risks are much greater and severe if contracted peri-natally.

At what point in the thread did I state that I took them out whilst they were highly contagious??????

"Having said that I still think that there is more scaremongering than is necessary on this forum when it comes to pregnancy and chicken pox. "

Agreed, HauntedLittleLunatic.

I am not interested in an argument. I was trying to explain why people are taking offence at your posts.

If you actually meant something else that's fine, but you need to write it out for people to know!

KatieMiddleton try reading through the posts carefully first next time, rather than hanging on to a certain poster's every word and making ridiculous accusations about people you don't even know!

I also am not interested in arguing with people but I do think my point of view has been completely taken out of context to suit others who want an excuse to have a go.

Lovechoc - you did put it in black and white for people to read I'm afraid. As a result people are going to jump on you for it.

lovechoc

Sorry about your own situation windywendy, hope your child is in good hands.

Unfortunately it is impossible to stay indoors (DH works 12hr shifts and so I cannot expect him to bring home food, he gets in late and also does nightshifts) I have to do most of the childcare on my own for several days at a time and have no family help close by to help out in such a situation so I have had to take mine out to the shops to buy bread and milk, nappies, etc whilst they've both been ill with chickenpox ( probably contagious too ). There are some situation you cannot avoid.

You could get DD2 vaccinated now. Per my paediatrician, even if they've been exposed, the vaccine can sometimes head it off or at least result in only a very mild case if they do get it.

However.....you'd have to pay AFAIK as not available on the NHS.

I would also suggest that others also read other posters replies carefully before starting a slanging match on a forum.

I will still be very interested to know if the OP does fly out tomorrow with her family on holiday....

probably is not the same as definitely though, and so it is unclear whether he was contagious or not at that time. He may have been or he may not have been.

If I had said 'so I took DS out with me, and he was no doubt contagious....' then I can understand why people would be upset about. I would be upset to read a response like that.

I think this is the dilemma the OP is currently in - her DD2 may be or may not be contagious with CP. There is no certainty.

I'm not disagreeing with lovechoc.

I'm just pointing out why you are getting such a hard time - you asked where you had said you took a contagious child out. I know you say probably but it is still a fairly open admission that you would take them out believing that they could still be infectious. I don't think you would be having an easy time without those 2 words but it has made you an easy target I'm afraid, and it is I suspect where a lot of the finger pointing type posts have come from.

Do you know I was trying to help. I know people sometimes misunderstand and interpret things differently from how they were meant but really, you're just rude and ignorant aren't you?

I, and everyone else, has read the thread thank you very much.

Lovechoc - you are digging yourself deeper and deeper. People have shown exactly what you have said about taking a child out knowing they had chicken pox. Stop digging and realise that in hindsight it was a selfish thing to do.

And I think that it is slightly diff to op as it is still speculation in her case as to whether she will ever be infectious (especially as still breastfed).

Have just read op 1st thread & then all posts that followed, it's all been blown out of proportion, it's simple op dosnt know if dd2 has got it & I don't think I know anybody who would cancel a holiday just in case there child got cp, if no spots on day of flight go & enjoy your holiday

Considering we haven't heard from OP (today is the day she flies out on holiday according to her original post last week) I'm going to guess she's having a lovely time on holiday.

I'm not going to add fuel to the fire just to add that there are more immunocompromised people around than you'd think. Low dose chemotherapy drugs are prescribed for conditions such as; crohn's and rhematoid arthritis. With autoimmune disorders, your immune system is all over the place anyway. I'm probably going to be immunosuppressed for the rest of my life. I am careful but I can't avoid everything so I trust that people are sensible when it comes to things like chicken pox especially on airplanes.