Chickenpox and heading to CentreParks

[Mags2014]

So we are due to go to CentreParks on Monday. My daughter had a bit of a fever at the weekend, still ok though, a good few spots appeared on Monday but we put it down to a heat rash, by Tuesday it was clearly chickenpox. She's had a rough time of it the last couple of days, totally covered, already a lot of it has scabbed over. We're booked in to CentreParks from Monday and to cancel would mean losing 50% of the cost which we can't really afford and there's the Airbnb at the halfpoint etc. She will be past the infectious stage when we get to CentreParks but from speaking to other parents, it takes ages to clear up so the spots will be very much visible.

I need a second opinion, should we be cancelling and accepting no holiday this year or crack on, ignore the looks and explain ourselves if anyone askat

Don’t cancel, if you can hand on heart say they’ve all scabbed over don’t worry. Any doubts keep her away from crowds

When mine had CP it look longer than a week for all their spots to properly scab over.

It’s a contagious disease and you could be putting more vulnerable people at risk such as those with lower immunity of pregnant women.

Although I appreciate it’s a pain to have to cancel.

Your travel insurance should cover at least part of it if you have an annual policy?

If she will no longer be infectious I think it’s fine to go. I used to be a primary school teacher and was quite used to children coming back to school still with scabs after chickenpox. They can take quite a while to go and I think people generally understand that non infectious children can still look quite spotty!

If she has scabbed over I think it’s fine. I’d probably get long sleeved stuff for the pool just to avoid looks.

if she hasn’t I’d still go just keep her away from others (not ideal I know but probably easier at CP than other places)

It’s quite soon after isn’t it what is the guidance for isolation days ? It started Tuesday and you are going away 6 days later?

if I went I wouldn’t be comfortable in pool etc.

She won’t be contagious by Monday which would mean insurance wouldn’t cover.

Really?? Everyone's been telling me this is the peak and I'll be grand for the weekend. She already seems better in herself today so clinging on to hope 🙏

She won’t be infectious after a whole week though as long as all the spots have scabbed over. I would expect children back into school after a week of chickenpox as long as they weren’t feeling ill or the spots hadn’t scabbed.

I only know one person who had it all scabbed over in that short amount of time and they had a very mild case less than 50 spots. Most children take longer than a week because there is a second surge of spots and then these need time to scab over. I would imagine she will still have many spots that have yet to scab over by Monday so I would cancel.

What does your travel insurance say?

It can vary quite a bit from child to child so it’s hard to say really.

I wouldn’t be very pleased if someone was walking round Center Parcs covered in blatant chicken pox. But then I don’t really believe this narrative that CP is non-contagious once scabbed over, how on earth could they possibly know that?

I suppose you could put those little colourful pimple patches over any visible spots?! It’s going to be terrible weather all over the country next week (supposedly) so she’s likely to be more covered up at least.

If a lot have already started to scab, another few days will surely be the end of it.

From what you’ve written here, I don’t think I’d cancel.

I have heard previously people say they have phoned CP when their child has for example broken their arm and they have allowed them to move the booking.

We had a luxury spa break booked a few years ago at Woburn when Covid precautions were slightly still in place and my husband ended up with Covid a couple of days before and they moved the booking for free to another date.

So it might be worth a call to see if there is anything they can do

This. They're allowed back at school once the spots have scabbed over so Centre Parks should be OK

I think it's very risky, when my eldest had CP she was fine in days, our 2nd child was unwell for nearly 3 weeks and some of her spots ended up getting infected. It's a mild illness for many but ours ended up in hospital.

You are going to get some very pissed off parents shouting at you if she's visibly covered in recent scabs. And you may well be asked to stay away from public areas or even told to go home.

I’d try your insurance or Center Parcs to see if it can be changed date. At best she will still be covered in spots and you’ll have to keep explaining to people who stare that she’s not contagious. At worst, she’ll still be contagious.

It doesn't matter if she is better they still come out several days after she wouldn't be allowed to school so why would you think it's ok to allow her in public places around vulnerable or small children

Once you are sure all the spots are crusted over she can still go. I doubt anyone will ask. I certainly wouldn’t say go if she is infectious but if she isn’t there is no reason not to crack ahead .

Ah guys, now I feel even more stressed, I genuinely can't say I'm 100% sure it'll be fully cleared, I've nothing to compare it too, just going off of friends. I'll try and call them tomorrow, if they say there's nothing they can do, we will still go on the holiday and if they can move it we will do that instead. We've not had a family holiday in 3 years, it's too much on the cusp to lose it.

What are your plans for once you’re there? Worse case scenario you can hang out in the lodge, feed the animals and birds on the patio, go for a walk in the woods etc even if she isn’t sufficiently clear of Chicken Pox for swimming or soft play.

Would she be swimming?

The thing is that immunocompromised kids can actually die from chickenpox so it’s not to be taken lightly but at the same time just read the nhs website. What it says is that once they are all crusted over they don’t need to isolate anymore so if that is the case you can go. You don’t need to feel guilty if she has scabs once you are following that guidance

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chickenpox/

Can you claim on your travel insurance ?