Chicken Pox Nightmare. Due to go on holiday

[yaaarrrp]

Hi all.

So my 9 year old DD has woken up today and is covered in chicken pox. She was ill on Thursday with a fever and feeling run down which cleared up by Saturday and then today the spots appeared.

The problem is we are due to fly on a 4 week travelling holiday of a lifetime next Monday, so 8 days time. I also have a 8 month old baby who will inevitably catch it. Do you think it might be too late to get the baby vacinated at this point? Will the airplane company let us fly if shes covered in spots? Ahhh such a nightmare and not sure what to do. Advice needed please 🙏

No intel just to say I’m so sorry this is happening to you! Was in a similar situation over summer. Youngest peaked about 14 days after sibling started to show. She was utterly, utterly miserable and we had to cancel a short break (in UK, refundable so not nearly so bad). I hate to be the harbinger of more bad news but I think the second case in a family can be worse as the exposure is longer IYSWIM. Fingers crossed for vacination!

Definitely too late to get the baby vaccinated. I'd imagine, but don't know, that they won't want you to fly because chicken pox can be really nasty for pregnant women or the immunosuppressed and you'll be in a tiny metal box with recirculating air... Plus the kids will be miserable anyway. Time to call on the insurance, I think. Sorry OP.

https://healthclinics.superdrug.com/services/chickenpox-vaccination/#:~:text=Vaccination%20within%203%20days%20of,a%20shorter%20period%20of%20illness.

So I think you're past that window now.

Ohhh I'm so sorry this is happening. I didn't think they vaccinated under 12 months but it's been quite a few years since mine were done!

The NHS says by day 5/6 the spots should’ve crusted over and are no longer contagious.

My younger child didn’t catch it from the older, despite being away camping (sharing a tent and two long car journeys squished up) before the spots came out.

I’d check your insurance policy and be prepared to make a last minute decision!

At 8 months they might still have some immunity from you, if you've previously had chicken pox? And if you're super careful with keeping them away from the older one maybe they won't catch it.

Google says the vaccine isn't available for babies under 9 months 😭

The airline won't physically stoop you from flying. And hopefully by then the pox will have scabbed

That is a pity. You need to review your insurance and start the process. You can't risk chickenpox for vulnerable people.

Ohh god its such a nightmare. I'm thinking my DD will be ok as it will have been 8 days since her first spot appeared and it says that BA will let you fly at that point.

Im just concerned if the little one develops spots whilst we are out there. We are flying to china and spending 5 days there before flying to japan and spending the rest of the trip there. I dont want to get stranded anywhere unable to board a plane.

We have had this trip planned for a year and we are also going for a wedding. Its just so bloody typical. Ive been wanting my DD to catch it for ages but shes avoided it for 9 years and boom this happens a week before we go ahhhh.

Im not someone who travels at all, so I just feel like shit this is happening 😭

Please do not encourage this. We only this week in Ireland had reports of deaths due to chickenpox in the news, in the run out of the vaccine in Ireland.

If the child has spots or the baby is likely to why would you risk a medical emergency ? Or risking other passengers.
Honestly the selfish nature of people takes my breath away.

Sorry you are going through this OP.

A friend of mine went on holiday and her daughter started with chicken pox whilst abroad and she wasn't allowed on the returning flight as the chicken pox was still contagious.

She ended up having to stay back until her daughters chicken pox were all scabbed over.

Potentially your daughter may no longer be contagious when you are due to fly out and your younger child may start with the chicken pox while away, you will need to factor in that you may not be allowed on your returning flight if this ends up being the case.

Does BA not stipulate that all the spots should be scabbed over, therefore no longer contagious?

If there are still spots without scabs after 8 days, I would imagine your child will still be highly contagious and therefore a risk to others.

BA says you need a fit to fly letter

• Chickenpox: 6 days after the last crop of spots providing the spots have crusted/scabbed over and the passenger feels well and has no fever. You will require a letter from your Doctor confirming you are no longer contagious.

P.s. your baby is too young for the vaccine. Incubation period is 10-21 days so it could be a while before you know if they have it or not

Book an appointment with doctor to get a fit-to-fly letter the day before you fly, assuming spots are crusted by 8 days (they should be). Without a letter, you may still be stopped at airport, as can still look terrible if she gets a lot on her face.
If your baby isn't showing spots by time you fly, you need to make that decision. I can imagine it would be an utter nightmare to get chicken pox in China!

We did above with our daughter (flew 6 days after spots appeared, with the okay given by doctor), but only had 1 child back then, so there was no concern with another child catching it slightly later. For child 2 and 3 we got them vaccinated, as we weren't risking the stress again! Given you've had this trip booked and were worried about chicken pox, I'm so surprised you didn't get your 9 year old vaccinated! We live and learn.

And this is one of many reasons why you should've got your older child vaccinated. Unfortunately the vaccine isn't available for babies less than nine months old.

Thank you. Ahh ok I obviously didn't read it properly. Looking like we'll have to cancel or possibly rearrange our flight to go after shes no longer contagious and then pray the baby doesnt get it. Fuck sake this is so shit!! Ive never really travelled before and we have all been so excited for this.

How utterly awful for you. Honestly, with the little one and the fact you're going so far away I would cancel if it were me. Its rare but what if it develops into something nasty and you're needing medical care. You'd hate to have to take her to a hospital abroad and deal with the language barrier etc

Yes lesson learnt. To be fair I didnt think the nhs offered the vaccine and you had to pay privately but that was a while ago and can now see that you can go to your gp for it. I guess chicken pox hasnt been on my radar for so long and its just sods law it happens now

You need to ring your travel insurers asap and follow their instructions. They will have a clear protocol for this situation. The airline will also have a policy and they will not let you fly with an infectious or potentially infectious child.
Bear in mind that some children are very poorly with chicken pox, it isn't always brief and straightforward.

You still need to pay for the CP vaccine in the UK

You still have to pay privately but for the sake of £180 this situation could have be avoided. I do sympathise though, it's just awful bad luck

So sorry this has happened to you - if you've got decent travel insurance for healthcare I would be tempted to risk it and hope baby gets it in Japan.

To all those saying you could have avoided this with vaccination - my vaccinated child STILL caught the chicken pox (although healed much quicker and didn't have that many spots). So even vaccination isn't a given and I wouldn't beat yourself up about that.

JCVI have recommended it is added to the vaccine schedule on the NHS but it has not yet started being rolled out. You can pay privately in Boots (and i guess other places as well?) but you can only get it on the NHS if you are in close contact with someone who might get extremely ill - eg someone have chemotherapy.