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Original poster

Chickenpox - Would you/wouldn't you?

80 replies

mummytummy · 06/06/2005 16:56

I am really paranoid about my two DDs getting chickenpox as we're going on holiday on Monday, and its rife in their nursery, and some of her other friends have it too. My mum has been saying that if they do come down with it, we shouldn't cancel our holiday (we're going on a Eurocamp caravan holiday in France) and that lots of parents would still take their children, which I have been disagreeing with. Anyway, today I went shopping to Bluewater, and there was a toddler absolutely covered in chickenpox, and they hadn't scabbed over. Am I being over cautious by considering cancelling my holiday if they did come down with it?

OP posts:

Cam · 06/06/2005 17:07

Its hard to say, it depends how old they are and how they seem with it - my dd wasn't ill "in herself" when she had it but some kids can react very badly. Presumably you are travelling by car so there wouldn't be the problem of flying (airlines won't take an obviously c/poxed child).

The thing is, your 2 could develop it while on holiday so then you'd be there anyway.

starlover · 06/06/2005 17:08

hmm, well i don't think i would.

one: they're probably not going to enjoy their holiday if they have chicken pox.

two: i'd be bloody cross if i was camping somewhere and the people next to me had contagious chicken pox children!

Fran1 · 06/06/2005 17:10

Are you asking in terms of being contagious on holiday for other children's benefit?

I have to say if my dd was feeling ok i would still go.
The NHS website says 5days after spots appear you are no longer contagious - doesn't matter whether spots have scabbed or not.
My dd has just had this and 3days before spots appeared she was a bit under the weather with a temperature, but that only lasted 24 hrs and the she was fine, just a little discomfort with itchiness at night - that u will get at home or on holiday - so i would go!

WideWebWitch · 06/06/2005 17:10

I wouldn't necessari;y cancel either, especially as you're camping, it depends on how they are though, some children do sail through it. Once the spots appear they've been infectious for ages anyway, not a lot you can do tbh!

Original poster

mummytummy · 06/06/2005 17:10

That's what my mum's been saying, and isn't it supposed to be more contagious before the spots come out? We're staying with my mum (she lives in France) for the first night of our holiday, and incidentally, since posting, I've just found out she has chickenpox!! I'm particulary weary that my 2 are going to have it because they were playing with my friend's DS in a paddling pool a couple of days before his spots came out.

OP posts:

Twiglett · 06/06/2005 17:10

I would cancel I think its unfair on other holiday makers who haven't been given the choice

starlover · 06/06/2005 17:10

but what about other kids at the campsite? it's hardly fair to put them at risk of getting it!

WideWebWitch · 06/06/2005 17:11

But starlover, my point is that contagious children are contagious AGES before any symptoms show, so theoretically any child you come into contact with could be incubating it. Once they've got the spots it's less of a worry. And I doubt just being in the next tent would do it tbh.

Original poster

mummytummy · 06/06/2005 17:13

Sorry, that reply was to Cam, I cross-posted with the rest of you. Yes, my main concern is spreading it to other children. They may not even come down with it, I think I'll just have to wait and see. It's our first family holiday since DD2 was born last year (she was 1 in April), and DD1 has just turned 3 and is really excited about going, so I am really really paranoid that we won't be able to go!!

OP posts:

Hulababy · 06/06/2005 17:13

Not sure, but at this stage I defnitely wouldn't cancel.

My Dd has recently had chicken pox and she was not ill in the slightest and had very few spots. They didn't even seem to itch that much for her. And we did take her out and about - we just kept her away from people. We went for walks and to ply at the park - during the day, no one around. We also went house hunting - we checked with the sales person (new houses) if okay and there were no problems. A family came in with a child so we warned them, and again no problems.

DD's spots had all scabbed over within about 5 days too - a very mild, quick dose for us.

If you are driving yourself, ad are prepared to keep your child/ren away from others (or ask people if they mind) when there, then I can't see there'd be a problem TBH.

starlover · 06/06/2005 17:14

yeah but the kids may play together.
i do take on board the being infectious before spots part...
i would take them if they showed no outward signs of being infected.

but if i was someone else on the campsite and people turned up with kids who OBVIOUSLY had it, and were contagious i would be really cross.

starlover · 06/06/2005 17:15

mummytummy... if they do happen to come down with it, could you stay at your mum's for the duration? or is that not possible?

Hulababy · 06/06/2005 17:15

I certainly wouldn't cancel before they came out with spots - they may not get it at all and what a wate that would be.

ladymuck · 06/06/2005 17:17

If you get it whilst you're on holiday then you'll probably be asked to quarentine your children, or move to alternative accommodation. you should also consider the form of transport as you may require a medical cert to fly.

We've just come back from Greece. One child came down with chicken pox on her first day, and was kept away from others for the whole week, but the docotr wouldn't certify her fit to fly until 2 days after the spots had scabbed. Whole family had to stay on for another week (flights back to Manchester only weekly).

Have to say that I wouldn't travel if my children had chicken pox, but similarly I wouldn't not travel just because the children had merely been exposed - spring is typically chicken pox season, and it is likely that many of the other children (esp under 5) will have similarly been exposed.

MamaMaiasaura · 06/06/2005 17:17

think it is far better to get chickenpox as kid and build up some immunity to it tho. My mum has had shingles and still not full recovered.. lots more serious as an adult.
Personally i wouldnt cancel holiday but just see how things go.

Thomcat · 06/06/2005 17:18

Would I cancel my holiday incase my kids got chicken pox while we were away - NO. Sorry but no I wouldn't. Not cos I'm nasty but I absolutley wouldn't even have thought about it. it wouldn't enter my head to cancel a holiday incase they got it while we were away. That makes you a thoughtful person and me an unthoughtful old cow, in this instance anyway. but hey ho, i'd still be on holiday having fun while you're at home with a cancelled holiday and two kids who dodn't actaully come down with it! Cos that's sods law

Sorry, am I being inappropiate?! i hope not.

sparklymieow · 06/06/2005 17:20

I did cancel my holiday. DS came out with chicken pox 2 weeks before we were due to go, I figured that the girls would come out with it while we were due to be away so moved it to October. Glad I did as the day after we were due to go, the girls did come out with CP and DD2 was very ill.

Cam · 06/06/2005 17:21

I'm with your ma, mummytummy, my dd was exposed many, many times before she finally went down with it (at age 7 years!) so its not guaranteed that yours will get it by any means. Plus I wouldn't worry too much about other people (except not good for pg women in later stages of pg if they haven't had it). Most people want their kids to get it over with and the other children at the campsite would incubate for about 14 days anyway.

If yours don't develop it before you go away I don't see how you can justify cancelling - when they might not develop it

Twiglett · 06/06/2005 17:24

sorry I would only cancel if they had cp before travelling .. if it was just the thought that they might get it then no I probably wouldn't

although I really wouldn't want to be away camping with a kid with first few days of cp .. not fun

Hulababy · 06/06/2005 17:27

Twiglett - honestly, with DD, you could have done anything. She was as normal - just with a few spots. Being stuck in the house with her would have been a nightmare - when have been bored stiff. We just had to get out. Particualrly when little, many children do have very mild doses of CP. I was amazed at how lightly DD got it - and apparantly it isn't uncommon to be so mild either.

Hulababy · 06/06/2005 17:28

Would this not be an insurance issue too - if your child doesn't actually have chicken pix when you cancel - could you even claim any oeny back?

ninah · 06/06/2005 17:30

I wouldn't cancel on the off-chance they might get it. I would cancel it they did, though. It's just not fair to other people esp adults who may not have had it - in partic pregnant woman. Children are NOT less infectious once they have spots. True, it takes 11-14 days to incubate -during which time they are invisibly infectious -but once they have spots they remain infectious for 5 days.
Good luck! doesn't cp picks it's moments... Ds has just had it, I'm glad cos he's 2.9, the perfect age, and he was not at all ill but we are hugely busy at work - nice as it might have been spending time playing on a deserted beach!

Original poster

mummytummy · 06/06/2005 17:32

OK, so I won't cancel unless they do come down with it beforehand. I just hope that if they do get it while we're in the caravan, people won't be giving me evils and herding their children away from mine, like I was doing this morning to the woman in Bluewater!!!

OP posts:

Thomcat · 06/06/2005 17:33

Whenever I see a kid with CP I throw Lottie at them. Would love her to get it sooner rather than later and preferable when we have a clear diary! never worked though so you can bet she'll get it the day we are about to fly off to the caribbean!

Thomcat · 06/06/2005 17:33

PS - no holiday to caribbean actually booked! Thought I should add that!

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