Chickenpox - Would you/wouldn't you?

[mummytummy]

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?

DS and DD both had cp quite mildly very recently and apart from the spots you would never have known they were sick

However .. I tried not to leave the house with them when they were contagious because what if I met someone who couldn't develop immunity, who was pregnant, who couldn't let their kids catch it at that particular time because there was something important coming up

.. sorry .. that's how I felt

I couldn't see Misdee the whole time my kids had cp, because although she wants her kids to get it, she can't risk her DH catching it, what with his heart and that.......

I had it as an adult when I was 26, although it was quite mild. I remember I was living alone and had run out of loo roll, and it was during the day when nobody was around to pick some up for me, so I had to go into Asda. I was really worried, because the supermarket was full of pensioners, and I was convinced I would pass it on to someone who really would be serious if they caught it.

Message withdrawn

particularly sensitised as medication DH is on means supresses his immune system and has a warning on packet that he has to be careful around CP .. luckily we found out he has immunity to it .. but there are people who don't IYKWIM (like Peter)

If I KNEW Lottie had CP I wou;dn't take her put, but WOULD phone firends and tell em to bring their kids over if they wanted theris to get it now.

My mate told me that someone we know had a CP party when a kid in the class got it so they could all have it in one go and get it over nad odne with!!!

I watched the colour drain from my friends face over the w/e as a child at the party we were at came in covered in open spots. She is pg and has not had cp, so is not immune. THAT's the problem, it can cause problems in unborn babies, not that other kids might look spotty for a week.

I think it is selfish and irresponsible to knowingly expose other people to cp (not aimed at you, Mummytummy - i know that's not what you said you'd do). Obviously you can't help it before the spots appear. Even if you are travelling by car, you have to get out and mingle on the ferry, don't you?

We did take DD out but were very careful. We used an empty play ground near us, and only walked down the streets which were empty. We were extremely careful. And the house we looked at was empty too.

I was telling DS to cuddle his sisters, kiss them, made sure he was near them all the time, they caught it!!!!! should have brought Lottie here, DS was very gengeous (SP??) with his CP,

I'm with Twiglett I'm afraid as I went through levels of hell when my ds1 came down with it when I was pregnant with ds2 (despite having had the chickenpox vaccination, tests came back that I still had no immunity to chickenpox) at a crucial stage. I wouldn't cancel if you don't know either way, but if they come down with it I just couldn't risk putting someone else through that. Sorry

then again I exposed DS 3 times to CP until he finally caught it through nursery (4th exposure) which is why I wouldn't cancel a holiday if he hadn't developed it

That's the frustrating thing - everyone's kids seem to have it at the moment, and if it wasn't for our holiday, I'd be trying to get them to have it!! Its sod's law that if they haven't got it, it won't be around when we get back! Mind you, probably a good thing because we are having a loft extension starting when we get back, as well as relocating our downstairs bathroom and knocking though our kitchen and old bathroom. I think we'd have enough on our plates!!

Hulababy, that's very true about the insurance. I should be able to claim if we had to cancel the holiday because they did have chickenpox. If they do come down with it, we can always go later. Bless - DD1 has just put her swimming cossie on and her little sister's one too. She is sooo excited about going away!!

My ds had chicken pox age 2,it was rife in nursery just prior to us going abroad but just kept my fingers crossed - away a week and within 3 days back home he got it - only had a couple of night sweats prior to spots and then he was absolutely fine - nursery wouldn't let him back so I had a week off work and we had a fab time! -
ps I found boots glycerine adn calamine cream far better than just calamine

yes you are being overcautious.
on the whole, chicken pox isnt that debilitating. some children have it so mildly that you wouldnt notice.
take your chances.
we once went on holiday when i had a burning fever. got better very soon

its bad enough being ill, without having your holiday cancelled as well

how are you getting there- planes don't let you fly with chickenpox; not sure about ferries.

stitch - have you read any of the posts about people who are very vulnerable if they catch cpox? people with compromised immunity, pg women etc?

chicken pox is only a problem for pregnant women in the last few weeks before delivery, and you are more likely to meet them outside a nursery class than on a plane. most airlines wont let you fly in the ninth month of pregnancy.
as for those with compromised immunity. there is a fine line between being a responsible citizen, and being overly cautious. again, i doubt if anyone going through chemo is likely to be at a campsite. far more likely to find them outside a nursery class/shopping centre/doctors office.

i just gave my opinion. obviously she will have to decide what she wants to do

stitch, sorry hon. You're wrong. Yes cp is really bad the last few weeks before delivery (that was my scenario) but it's also very dangerous pre-20wks.

Early infection (pre-20wks) causes severe abnomalities of the baby. Late infection (last few weeks before delivery) causes neonatal varicella which is extremely dangerous for the baby.

Infection at any other time of pregnancy can be very dangerous for the mother including much higher risk of pneumonia and other chickenpox complications.

And what - people with compromised immunity aren't allowed holidays now?!

dont risk it. dh is venturing into the great outdoors hopefully this weekend for a short holiday, and if anyone comes near us with uncrusted chicken pox i'd be likely to batter the parents.

Thanks everyone. We have decided to go if there are no spots, and not go if there are!! If spots come out while we are there, we can always stay at my mum's house - its in the middle of nowhere with loads of land, so that would be fine. Misdee - can I be nosey and ask, as I don't know the history - why can't your DH be infected with cp? Don't worry if you don't want to discuss - I'm just plain nosey!! Am signing off for now, but will look up later.

stitch my DH takes a chemo drug every week .. he will do for the rest of his life ... the medicine supresses his immune system .. there are many people who have supressed immune systems due to illness / disease /relevant medication who aren't going through chemo for cancer who would be quite serverly affected by contact with an infectious CP case

MT .. misdee's DH is awaiting a heart transplant

he is more at risk afterwards, but atm we dont want him to be ill when he gets the call for transplant. so even afterwards uncrusted chicken pox wthe parents will get a mouthful of me. if my kids go down with it then we have to send dh off somewhere safe.