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Children's health

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Original poster

Is it a given that sibling will come down with chicken pox too?

25 replies

Flockameanie · 04/04/2022 21:40

DS(6) has chicken pox. I'm wondering if it's a given that his older sister (8) will get it too? She's never had it, to our knowledge, despite being exposed to it many times when she was little.

DS's pox has scuppered our holiday plans. If DD comes down with it within the standard incubation period (2 weeks, I think) that will coincide exactly with her birthday, the parties of her her two best friends and her own bday party.

So, I guess I'm hoping for happy stories of one sibling have the pox and others not coming down with it.

OP posts:

dementedpixie · 04/04/2022 21:58

Unfortunately ds got it about 15 days after dd

Pythonesque · 04/04/2022 22:23

There's some chance that, if she was exposed to it when she was little, she had a barely noticeable infection back then and won't come down with it now. But I wouldn't count on it, sorry.

SW1amp · 04/04/2022 22:25

Go and get the older one vaccinated ASAP! It’s an absolute no brainer

Even if they’ve already been exposed, it is still quite effective at reducing the severity and length of their illness

DramaAlpaca · 04/04/2022 22:26

Pretty much a given, yes. As it's at its most infectious a couple of days before the spots appear, you don't know they've got it until then, and siblings are going to mix of course.

EcoCustard · 04/04/2022 22:29

Dc1 had it, Dc2 & dc3 came down with it 2 weeks to the day Dc1 did. The only positive was they weren’t as poorly.

stayathomer · 04/04/2022 22:31

Um, so when we were young we all got it actual years apart but a few years ago the kids all got it within days of each other so ... fingers crossed the first scenario for you!!

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 04/04/2022 22:34

With us it was DN, then DD1 7 days later then DD2 seven days after that (DN and DD1 sharing a room on holiday together in the run up to DNs illness.)

FirstTimeFuckDies · 04/04/2022 22:35

I think the average delay in transmission between siblings is 14 days. DD2 got it 15 days after DD1, just when we thought we were in the clear and just in time for DD1s rescheduled birthday party. I don't know any kids in our circle who didn't pass it on to their siblings except for the ones who were vaccinated, including one who had only had the first of the two vaccines so if you've got events you don't want to miss I suggest booking that vaccine in quickly!

Arucanafeather · 04/04/2022 22:36

It would be unusual for a sibling who’s not previously had chicken pox not to catch it from their sibling, as chicken pox is highly contagious and there would have been 48 hours of exposure prior to you know the first sibling had it. It’s s long period for possible contact to contract it. It is possible that immunity has built up already. If it hasn’t, I would expect them to get it.

Galliano · 04/04/2022 22:36

I didn’t catch it as a child when my mum and 3 siblings had it. Mum was ill, siblings mildly unwell. I went on to catch it as an adult and like my mum was really quite ill with it. There is a major plus to getting it over with in childhood in terms of how ill you are likely to be…if she does escape this time please consider paying for a vaccination.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 04/04/2022 22:37

BUT... over the years it seems 50/50 whether my two share illnesses with each other. They shared Scarlet Fever, molluscum, chicken pox and Covid... but not impetigo, a viral lung infection, norovirus and minor cold, stomach bugs etc.

Original poster

Flockameanie · 04/04/2022 22:44

Unfortunately we've missed the window for her to get the vaccine - has to be within 3-5 days of exposure.

I had planned to get them both vaccinated a while ago, then Covid happened and I forgot about it. But yes, if she does evade it this time I'll definitely vaccinate her as soon as I can.

Gah! I feel so bad for her as so much stuff has been cancelled due to Covid in general (she's had two lockdown birthdays) and then because she actually got Covid earlier this year. She's fed up already about the holiday being cancelled (as are we all). It's rubbish... Stupid chicken pox.

OP posts:

ImNotWhoYouThinkIam · 04/04/2022 22:47

DS1 had chicken pox when DS2 was 3 weeks old.

DS2 ended up in hospital being tube fed as he couldn't keep fluids down. Hospital were adamant it wasn't chicken pox, and he had no spots.

But he's never caught chicken pox since (he's 15 now and been exposed to it many times.)
The dr thinks he's naturally immune!

So it's possible they won't catch it. Although it's also possible DS2 did have it.

Boofay · 04/04/2022 22:50

Both my younger children had it in December. Exactly 14 days apart. There was no avoiding it really.

NaturalBlue · 08/04/2022 20:40

14 days exactly. I don't think there is much chance of avoiding it between siblings.

MyDcAreMarvel · 08/04/2022 20:41

But yes, if she does evade it this time I'll definitely vaccinate her as soon as I can. get the GP to check her bloods first she may well have immunity.

ReadyToMoveIt · 08/04/2022 20:46

Exactly 14 days between infections for my 2

TheLoupGarou · 08/04/2022 20:52

Sadly yes, usually just as you think 'surely the incubation period has passed by now'

MargaretThursday · 08/04/2022 20:58

Not at all.

I remember dsis having it. It was my brother's birthday party, and dm was so sure that me and dbro would also catch it from dsis that she invited a couple of families round for tea whose dc also had it.
I remember asking to look at a spot on dsis and being told I'd be able to look at my own spots soon enough.

I didn't get it.

Nor did I get it when my best friend at school had it, nor when it went through my secondary school like wildfire catching everyone else who hadn't had it, and a few people had it a second time.

I caught it at university when no one else had it and have no idea where it came from.

TroysMammy · 08/04/2022 21:04

My sister was plastered in chicken pox when she was about 7. She had it everywhere including eyes, up her nose, in her ears, between her toes and was off school for a month. I'm 2 years older and never had it until I was 36 and that was a mystery who I caught it off.

saggyhairyass · 08/04/2022 21:08

Back in the mid-80s my DB got it quite bad and passed it to me. My mum didn't work at that time, just kept us in away from other children ( she didn't subscribe to Chicken Pix parties). My DB is now in his 40s, CP scars are still visible.

CP was doing the rounds at DD's primary school about 2013. My DD luckily didn't get it but I wonder now if it would have been better if she had. Her friend was laid low for quite a while, had a temperature, bad itching, all of it, then her younger brother got it. Then other friends caught it. I'm amazed DD escaped.

ReadyToMoveIt · 08/04/2022 21:08

@TheLoupGarou

Sadly yes, usually just as you think 'surely the incubation period has passed by now'

Yes, this is what happened to us. We were due to go to center parcs 14 days after DC1 came down with chicken pox. We thought we’d got away with it… DC1 was all recovered and DC2 wasn’t showing any signs so we packed up the car. Just as we were about to leave I noticed a spot on DC2’s stomach and we had to unpack and go back inside

saggyhairyass · 08/04/2022 21:09

*Pox

blindmansbluff · 09/04/2022 14:07

14 days exactly here too, although both my sister's had it as kids and I never caught it so you might be lucky

Okaaaay · 09/04/2022 19:06

Sadly yes - sorry for you but better to prepare. DD5 got CP two weeks before our flight (she was fine to go with fit to fly letter), DS2 developed them exactly two weeks afterwards (our first day of hols). It hasn’t been much fun and we’re still here awaiting sign off from s doctor that he is fit to travel home

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