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Original poster

Chickenpox and holiday

112 replies

Traveljo · 02/04/2024 19:54

HELP! Anyone with chickenpox and holiday experiences? DS is on day 4 of the dreaded pox and we are due to fly out on Sunday. DD hasn’t had it before and seems to have dodged every case in school (praying that she has had it without symptoms)
Do we get a fit to fly (if we can) and chance daughter getting it out there or try to cancel?
hubby thinks if DS is ok to fly then we should go as DD may not even get it.
Any advice or experiences are grateful appreciated 😊

OP posts:
MumChp · 02/04/2024 22:37

NamingConundrum · 02/04/2024 22:32

Only a problem if you're not immune. You're tested for antibodies when pregnant if you don't think you've had it. I've had relatives in public facing roles go into work with shingles because they can't afford to be off sick any longer. I could have been sat next to someone with chicken pox in GP waiting room when going for midwife appointments. I could be a pregnant woman whose older child has chicken pox. It's life. Her DS will no longer be infectious. No problems with them flying out.

Show quote history

You can travel before pregnancy tests are carried out. Other travellers can as well be vulnerable.
Clear rules for chicken pox are on planes for a reason!

dementedpixie · 02/04/2024 22:38

You dont get tested for chicken pox in pregnancy.

It's OK to work with shingles if the rash is covered and you feel well enough to do so

PutOnYourRedShoesAndLetsDance · 02/04/2024 22:39

www.nhs.uk/conditions/chickenpox/

dementedpixie · 02/04/2024 22:39

dementedpixie · 02/04/2024 22:38

You dont get tested for chicken pox in pregnancy.

It's OK to work with shingles if the rash is covered and you feel well enough to do so

I mean you arent tested routinely for it

NamingConundrum · 02/04/2024 22:40

dementedpixie · 02/04/2024 22:38

You dont get tested for chicken pox in pregnancy.

It's OK to work with shingles if the rash is covered and you feel well enough to do so

I did, I was asked at booking if I'd had it. I said not that I knew of so they did it with rest of my booking bloods. Most won't have the test as they know they had chicken pox when younger.

Upinthenightagain · 02/04/2024 22:42

I wouldn’t go. Sorry that’s probably not what you want to hear but I wouldn’t. The second one is likely to be much worse, Dd had it when she was 1 but then caught it again when she was 8 and gave it to ds7 who had previously swerved it at nursery and school. Then about 4 days into it with him their sister who was only 6 months got it. The last two were both really bad with it. Much worse than their older sister and really unwell with it. I didn’t know you could privately vaccinate at the time. You could not pay me to go through what we did in those few weeks on holiday. Not a chance.

Saffabird · 02/04/2024 22:44

We’ve just spent 4 days abroad and my daughter presented a high fever/cough pretty much an hour after we landed. I can honestly say having an ill child abroad is NOT worth it. It wasn't fun. If she had started the symptoms that morning I would have cancelled.

Ladyluckinred · 02/04/2024 22:50

Hoplittlebunnyhophophopandstop · 02/04/2024 20:54

Realistically you will beed to see a doctor on Friday for fit to fly letter or a letter to say you can’t. It normally takes a least 5 days from the last spot appearing to it crusting over. You may not get a fit to fly letter for DS.

Show quote history

@Traveljo same timeframe when we were due to go away. We got a fit to fly the day before we left from an online GP on a Saturday. Cost around £40 and they get the fit to fly back quickly as they have out of hours GP’s. All crusted over and signed off. Was completely fine.

Loads of oat baths or Oilatum in baths. Poxclin works well to soothe and crust. I think you’ll be fine tbh.

daffophil · 02/04/2024 22:51

All of the saints who wouldn't expose a potentially sick child to a plane full of people...are you genuinely saying you'd lose 4k on the chance your kid might get ill? Totally different if you know they've got it.

In this case one child will be healed and the other might have dodged it. Imagine how you'd feel if you cancelled, stayed home and they were both right as rain.

It's certainly not ideal and I would be worried but it's crazy to lose all that money on the off chance.

Original poster
Traveljo · 02/04/2024 22:55

Saffabird · 02/04/2024 22:44

We’ve just spent 4 days abroad and my daughter presented a high fever/cough pretty much an hour after we landed. I can honestly say having an ill child abroad is NOT worth it. It wasn't fun. If she had started the symptoms that morning I would have cancelled.

Thanks, I know you’re not wrong. I just can’t afford to lose the money if it turns out DS is fit to fly. Insurance won’t cover unless we go or she gets symptoms before.

OP posts:
Upinthenightagain · 02/04/2024 22:56

daffophil · 02/04/2024 22:51

All of the saints who wouldn't expose a potentially sick child to a plane full of people...are you genuinely saying you'd lose 4k on the chance your kid might get ill? Totally different if you know they've got it.

In this case one child will be healed and the other might have dodged it. Imagine how you'd feel if you cancelled, stayed home and they were both right as rain.

It's certainly not ideal and I would be worried but it's crazy to lose all that money on the off chance.

You’d feel a bit pissed off but the alternative of having a potentially very ill child abroad is far worse. People really underestimate how nasty chicken pox can be

Original poster
Traveljo · 02/04/2024 22:57

@daffophil that’s where I am at! So difficult, decision may be taken out of my hands later this week but it does come down to we can’t afford to just cancel without guarantee our insurance will pay out

OP posts:
Original poster
Traveljo · 02/04/2024 22:59

@Ladyluckinred would you mind sharing who you used if you recommend them?

OP posts:
NoodlesandDoodles · 02/04/2024 23:01

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 02/04/2024 20:14

Been there OP- my eldest got a fit to fly (private cost me £40) as all scabbed. Youngest was certain to get it out there as was within 10day period of her sister. Insurance company wouldn’t pay out because neither child was sick.
so we went and smuggled a spotty child back on the plane who exploded in spots after we landed home. Was I happy about the choice- nope, but would you lose a 4k holiday over a possibility of getting pox.

Please don't do this OP, extend your holiday if needed for your DD to be safe to fly. Chicken pox can be life threatening to people on chemotherapy or other treatments. As an immunocompromised person this is why I rarely fly anywhere. When I do need to fly with no other option, then I really just have to hope that all the other passengers are not as selfish as this.

Hobbi · 02/04/2024 23:01

My husband's school friend died after catching chicken pox from a child whose parents didn't bother keeping them isolated. He has leukaemia and was immunosuppressed due to the treatment. Another friend had it during pregnancy and caused severe damage to her health and that of her baby. Anyone pregnant or immunosuppressed is at serious risk.

heavensakes · 02/04/2024 23:05

Your son will be absolutely fine to travel by then. My DC had it 3 weeks apart - that's the potential incubation period. I think all you can do is plan to travel but be prepared to claim on insurance should your DD start with it.

lostinthoughts · 02/04/2024 23:10

We had exactly this situation several years ago. DS1 got it about a week before holiday. He had it very mildly and it wasn't a bad experience. DS2 still wasn't showing any signs by the time our outbound flight date came, so we proceeded to go on holiday. We thought about cancelling it but then it might have been in vain if DS2 didn't end up getting it at all.

Day 3 of holiday DS2 started coming out in spots and had the worst case of CP I have ever seen. He was riddled and we I had several days of being confined to the apartment.

The trouble came with flying home as his spots still hadn't scabbed over. We could've extended our holiday until he was fit to fly, except I was almost 36 weeks pregnant and if I extended the holiday any longer, then I wouldn't have been fit to fly.

I'll be honest, and I'll probably get flamed, but it was a night flight so we swaddled him up in a blanket and smuggled him on the flight regardless Blush

Good luck!

User356432 · 02/04/2024 23:11

I could have been sat next to someone with chicken pox in GP waiting room when going for midwife appointments. I could be a pregnant woman whose older child has chicken pox. It's life. Her DS will no longer be infectious. No problems with them flying out.

Exactly this. Parvovirus and CMV are also extremely dangerous when you are pregnant but you can't expect every single stranger you cross paths with to alter their behaviour on the vanishingly tiny chance they might meet an unvaccinated and un-immune pregnant woman.

If you are pregnant it's entirely your own responsibility to mitigate health risks. Chicken pox is a very easy one to avoid since you can get tested for antibody titres (before TTC if needed). If they are low then just get the vaccine. If someone refuses to get vaxxed but still feels entitled to fly long haul in a tiny cabin crammed full of all kinds of viruses, well then shit.

Ladyluckinred · 02/04/2024 23:14

Traveljo · 02/04/2024 22:59

@Ladyluckinred would you mind sharing who you used if you recommend them?

ZoomDoc xx

OdeToBarney · 02/04/2024 23:15

I would be begging the GP to sign DS as not fit to fly and claiming on the insurance. No way I'd want to risk being abroad and DD coming down with it.

Tiddlywinkly · 02/04/2024 23:16

So...I have experience of this. It was 5 years ago, so I'm vague on dates unfortunately.

Ds (3) had Chicken Pox and they crusted over in good time. We took the risk to go on holiday as otherwise we would lose 4k. Insurance did not cover 'potential for other sibling coming down with it'.

A few days in, DD (5) comes down with it. We obviously kept DD inside the room and brought her food (alternating parents).

Then, it was time to go home. DD could not fly (understandably). There was no room at our hotel (they could not give any shits. Thanks TUI) so I had to transfer with an ill DD across the island to a hotel in the middle of the sticks with no WiFi for 5 days (had to take this as additional annual leave). We had to be brought our food 3 times a day and stay in our room. We were under the flight path so I literally had dh and ds flying home over us. It was crap. This was all covered by travel insurance. I had to fight for all inclusive. They originally wanted to put us in an apartment. How would I have gotten food? We were treated like quite poorly as most people in the country hadn't seen it before (childhood vaccines common).

Got home after getting a fitness to fly. I was asked to produce it about 3 times in the airport and then by the captain on the plane.

So, in conclusion, this is the horror version, but I thought you needed to know the risks.
.

Original poster
Traveljo · 03/04/2024 06:56

Thanks Everyone for your advice and experiences 😊

OP posts:
daffophil · 03/04/2024 10:20

"You’d feel a bit pissed off but the alternative of having a potentially very ill child abroad is far worse. People really underestimate how nasty chicken pox can be"

Unless they're going to Outer Mongolia I wouldn't worry too much. Most EU countries have decent enough healthcare in an emergency situation. Not that you can do a lot for chicken pox anyway. The worst case scenario is if they couldn't get back but at least the insurance would pay out for that. I'm not saying it's ideal and it would certainly play on my mind too but it would be madness to lose all of that money just in case your child might get unwell on holiday. That could potentially happen any time.

Original poster
Traveljo · 03/04/2024 10:38

daffophil · 03/04/2024 10:20

"You’d feel a bit pissed off but the alternative of having a potentially very ill child abroad is far worse. People really underestimate how nasty chicken pox can be"

Unless they're going to Outer Mongolia I wouldn't worry too much. Most EU countries have decent enough healthcare in an emergency situation. Not that you can do a lot for chicken pox anyway. The worst case scenario is if they couldn't get back but at least the insurance would pay out for that. I'm not saying it's ideal and it would certainly play on my mind too but it would be madness to lose all of that money just in case your child might get unwell on holiday. That could potentially happen any time.

it’s so much money to lose. If my son is safe to fly then I don’t see how we can justify it on a what if

OP posts:
Upinthenightagain · 03/04/2024 10:44

daffophil · 03/04/2024 10:20

"You’d feel a bit pissed off but the alternative of having a potentially very ill child abroad is far worse. People really underestimate how nasty chicken pox can be"

Unless they're going to Outer Mongolia I wouldn't worry too much. Most EU countries have decent enough healthcare in an emergency situation. Not that you can do a lot for chicken pox anyway. The worst case scenario is if they couldn't get back but at least the insurance would pay out for that. I'm not saying it's ideal and it would certainly play on my mind too but it would be madness to lose all of that money just in case your child might get unwell on holiday. That could potentially happen any time.

Even if you don’t need to access healthcare, it’s not really fair to drag an ill child on a plane or much of a holiday for anyone.

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