Chicken pox today. Flights to Spain Saturday.

[BusyCee]

So DS2 came home from nursery on Monday with what looked like a couple of small bites in his groin. Today he has what is clearly chicken pox. We have flights booked for a family holiday with friends to Spain dept Sat am

Obvs I won't be taking him on a plane while he's infectious - ethically wrong. BUT, any thoughts on what the effing Jeff we do? Options seem to be;

• DH and DS1 go and I suck it up, stay home with DS2 and 7mo DD. Try to get insurance to pay out (we only booked it yesterday. Will they think we're on the take?)
• DH and DS1 go with friends to villa on Sat. I negotiate with Ryanair to move the flights and try to get a 'fit to fly' certificate from the GP. Assume he'll be 'clean' by Weds next week. Has anyone done this?

Any thoughts?

Has DS1 had chicken pox before? What about you and your DH?

well you can hope he will be able to travel by middle of next week but lots of children get new spots every 3 days for a good week so I would be surprised if he is actually ok to fly.

plus your other children might well come down with it although incubation is up to 21 days if I remember right so you might get away with it but you could find one of you stranded abroad with a child not allowed to fly home.

I think you need to ask the travel company what they suggest and speak to insurance and then go from there.

Ds1 is now 5. Had mild pox when we was 2. DH & I have both had it. I don't want to take 7mo DD if she's potentially going to get it - but wonder if by the time DS2 is clear she'll either have it or not.

Gah!

I would send Dh and non pox child. Get flight changed for a few days later and join them. You can't spend life saying what if other catch, as could be weeks away or never

Oh I see you have three children?

Send Dh with 5 year old and 7 month old baby. You fly with toddler a few days later

DD is BF'ed!

Baby would be fine without breastmilk or formula for 2-3 days if needed though at 7 months. They can be given milky food, water and regular food ( well that's what mine did when I was away)

I'd speak to your insurer first & see what they offer as that might impact. I think you need to think through the other end of it...If the baby comes down with it whilst you're away, would DH be OK to fly back with the other two, do school runs etc whilst you are stuck in Spain with the baby? Insurance would have to pay for accommodation & flights for you & the baby but not the rest of the family. Would you be OK in a hotel room with a baby with c pox.

The 7mo might already be infected or become infected either before later flight out or return flight back. Will the insurance not offer a full refund so you can all go together another time?

Have you got travel insurance? Might they cover new fligts for you and chickenpox DC?

How old is chickenpox DC? Often younger children have milder symptoms. I was very lucky, both of my DC had chickenpox simultaneously when they were 1 and 3, and it was very mild for both.

Lots of calamine and liquids! Any fever yet?I really hope you get to go, keep us updated!

Crikey I wouldn't send my breastfed baby away! There could be days of screaming before she agrees to take the bottle. Not really worth it for a holiday she's unlikely to appreciate at 7 months.

Yep. DD stays with me regardless.

DS2 is nearly 3, so it is fairly mild. But you're right about thinking through. I'd rather not be abroad with a sick DD...

Anyone dealt with il travel insurance the day after booking it?! Will they cover is? Particularly as I saw first spots on Monday, but didn't realize it was the pox...assume I don't need to tell them that?

Ffitz - mine breastfed and wouldn't take a bottle. But by 7 months I had to work some days away which would be a feed days overnight. Like I said they both survived happily being looked after by their father who could comfort them just as well as I could. Milk, formulae or breast is needed until 1 year min generally due to vitamins and nutrients in it. But they are fine a few days without as can eat anything by that age. In our case Dh wold give them milky porridge morning and Eve, plus whatever else he was eating for lunch and dinner. They drank water from a cup. If op doesn't wants leave baby that's fine, but I'm just saying bf a baby at 7 months isn't really a reason you can't leave them. 7 week yes, months no

My DS had mild chicken pox, and then the full on version 3 years later. Don't presume your older child will not get CP again. Sorry.

Ok. Thanks all. Will speak to goin the morning and then the airline that will be fun, it's Ryanair

Ryanair are not as bad as they used to be.

Did you only buy the travel insurance when you saw the chickenpox spots? If that is the case, or you just bought it late, I would wait as long as possible before phoning them. It would make more sense anyways, you need to wait and see how bad the chickenpox is.

I have heard about chickenpox coming back again if first instance is mild. But my DCs both had mild chickenpox 8 years ago, and they didn't get it again (knock on wood!).

Of course you must be honest with the travel insurance and if you only booked the travel insurance yesterday then I wouldn't be too surprised if they thought you were trying it on. It would seem like quite a coincidence.

Are you sure you don't have any other insurance eg some bank accounts include travel insurance

I actually had my DD vaccinated this morning and the Dr mentioned that the second case in a family is normally worse than the first. So I would be very worried that your baby would get it whilst you were away and be very poorly.

I would probably send DH and eldest child and stay behind.

What a pain though.

I'd cancel the whole thing, even if you could fly by next week you'd have to keep your child out of the sun 24/7 as the new skin is incredibly fragile and will scar if exposed to the sun, that means no pool/beach etc plus the worry of whether the baby will catch it would make it a deal breaker for me.

Mrscampbellblack, did your own gp vaccinate against CP or did you find a private clinic? (Assuming you are in the uk?) im trying to have my son vaccinated against it but struggling to find anywhere.

I had it done privately - I'm in the south west if you are this way I can pm you where I went. It needs 2 vaccinations 6-8 weeks apart.

Thanks, I'm not in the south west so my search continues! It feels slightly wrong to google something so important.

Re the insurance. I saw the spots on Monday and thought it was just a rash (of the sort they're constantly having). Booked the travel insurance yesterday - later than planned as life is chaotic. Pox became apparent this morning. Appreciate from the insurance cos PoV this looks dodgy. But it genuinely isn't. What happens in this instance?