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Original poster

Would you fly with a child with chicken pox?

56 replies

allthegirls · 19/03/2006 18:27

Chicken pox is going around like crazy at the moment. We are due to go on holiday on saturday morning and I am really not sure what to do if the spots come out!! There is only two children at the pre school who are yet to get it dd2 and another young boy. Another two cases have sprung up over this weekend!!

I am pretty sure she will be getting it its just when!

If the spots come out before saturday what would you do? Should we fly?

OP posts:
alittlebitshy · 19/03/2006 18:29

no way - the air con on planes means the spores will travel like anything!!!!!! some friends of ours were about to return to their native nz when we thought dd had c-pox (it was hand foot and mouth) and they were petrified their ds would catch it, hence stopping play as it were!!!!

Blandmum · 19/03/2006 18:29

I don't think that I would since the child would be contagious. What if there were a pregnant woman on the flight who caught it? I'd feel too guilty

Terrible choice tho, and I can fully see your dilema.

Plus mine were arther poorly with it and very miserable. A flight would have been hell on me, them and everyone else on the plane!

WigWamBam · 19/03/2006 18:30

If they get chicken pox you shouldn't fly - the spots are infectious until they scab over and it will spread like wildfire in a plane.

SleepyJess · 19/03/2006 18:30

If the spots have crusted over then the child is no longer contagious. And a doctors letter could confirm this to any stroppy travellers.

Twiglett · 19/03/2006 18:31

if your dd has chicken pox you would be totally selfish to fly and risk infecting those around you... I would be surprised if an airline would allow you to fly and at least your insurance will refund you

of course if she hasn't yet developed spots its more difficult

alittlebitshy · 19/03/2006 18:31

wildfire, thats the word i was hunting for wwb - wildfly kept popping into my head and i knew it was wrong Grin

Twiglett · 19/03/2006 18:32

SJ there's no way a child who hasn't yet developed the spots would be clear by next saturday .. its 10 days isn't it

HappyMumof2 · 19/03/2006 18:33

no - very selfish imho

Original poster
allthegirls · 19/03/2006 18:35

Ok thanks!! Just going to keep my fingers crossed that the spots wait till next week to appear then!!! Or they come out tonight and should then be scabbed over by saturday. Best scenario would be they appear in two weeks time so we have to spend an extra few days slumming it in Dubai!!!!

OP posts:
tortoiseshell · 19/03/2006 18:36

The NHS guidelines say that there are no cases of transmission after the fifth day after the spots come out. So if she came out with it today or tomorrow, you'd probably be ok, although you might need a doctors letter to reassure other travellers.

I had to take ds on a train with chickenpox, and it was after the 5 days, but he had it really badly, so looked very 'poxy', and I did have to explain to lots of people that he wasn't contagious anymore.

You are the most contagious just before the spots come out!

Original poster
allthegirls · 19/03/2006 18:37

Isnt she more contagious if the spots have not come out? But if I cancel and she does not even get it would i get insurance?

OP posts:
cutekids · 19/03/2006 18:38

i don't think you'd be allowed on the flight to be honest...sorry to be bearer of bad news and i know how you feel as we thought our son had it x 3 days before our holiday last year. it was actually an allergy he had but, i have to admit, i did actually think of "hiding"his spots if he had it Blush which, in retrospect, was quite selfish.hope you get to go on holiday though - with a perfectly healthy child!

LIZS · 19/03/2006 18:40

They won't let you with live chickenpox, sorry. Have a look at the airline's smallprint.

fastasleep · 19/03/2006 18:40

No way! You can't go on a vehicle with re-cycled air with a contagious virus!!

Original poster
allthegirls · 19/03/2006 19:15

DD2 has just come out in thye spots!!!!! What do you reckon the chances of flying on sturday would be? If is only 5 days according to the NHS i am hoping 6 days will be ok!! I spoke to the insurance company just in case and they will refund the money and in the worst case We can hopefullt fly out a few days later!!

OP posts:
Original poster
allthegirls · 19/03/2006 19:15

DD2 has just come out in thye spots!!!!! What do you reckon the chances of flying on sturday would be? If is only 5 days according to the NHS i am hoping 6 days will be ok!! I spoke to the insurance company just in case and they will refund the money and in the worst case We can hopefullt fly out a few days later!!

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 19/03/2006 19:18

NO! EXTREMELY selfish as even if someone has had chicken pox they can get shingles, which are even worse according to people I've known who've had them. Someone selfishly did this on a plane a friend of mine was on. She is a carer who works w/the elderly and came down w/shingles. Imagine what could have happened to those poor old people had she passed it on?!

jalopy · 19/03/2006 19:20

My son was exposed many times to 'pandemics' of chicken pox at his nursery and school. They were all going down like flies but he didn't get it until he was 8 yrs old!

Blandmum · 19/03/2006 19:21

you can't 'catch' shingles. you get them when run down (a la cold sores). When you have chicken pox the virus never lease your body totaly and lies dormant in the nerves. If run down it can come back and does so along the nerves, explaining the pain and the distribution of the sores.

Buy flying with infectios cpox is a no-no in any case....for immuno compromised and non immune peopleetc

Original poster
allthegirls · 19/03/2006 19:23

Shingles are nasty I have unfortunatley had it twice myself!! So how long do I need to leave it then. If the NHS recommend 5 days and we have 6 days before we fly. What would you think would be a reasonable time to leave it? My husband would fly out with dd1 anyway as we are visiting my parents so catching a later plane would not be a problem .

OP posts:
Blandmum · 19/03/2006 19:25

I would check with a doctor and if you are OK I would get a signed letter to show to the airline company....who otherwise might baulk at your spotty child Smile

getbakainyourjimjams · 19/03/2006 19:26

the airlines won't let you on. An A level student of mine got stuck in the US and missed one of her modules because of chickenpox. She needed a drs certificate to fly- so if you want to fly and there are spot remnants I'd get a cert to be on the safe side.

Twinkie1 · 19/03/2006 19:27

Quantas and Singapore won't let you fly if you have them!!

Original poster
allthegirls · 19/03/2006 19:29

I will talk to the doctors first thing tomorrow to see what they say! Hopefully by saturday the contagious bit will be over!!

OP posts:
getbakainyourjimjams · 19/03/2006 19:29

you can't catch shingles from chickenpox btw (look at the last line under {http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/en.aspx?printPage=1&articleId=97\symptoms}

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