Has your child had chicken pox during the pandemic?

[Poppins2016]

I'm just curious, really... has your child had caught chicken pox during the pandemic? My 2 year old hasn't had it yet and I was hoping we'd be able to get it out of the way while he's still little (sounds as though symptoms are generally milder the younger they are).

It occurred to me that DS has had very few colds over the last year (all caught through attending nursery) and that if that's the case, I'm guessing that catching chicken pox is even less likely (potentially for a long time to come)...

My 3 year old has just had them last week. Caught them off a girl at nursery. He had about 10 spots all together if that and he never really bothered. Hes the same, doesn't seem to get ill ever.

A friend of mines ds had them at around 9/10 months really badly, when his older brother was less affected. It’s not necessarily easier when they are young.

My 10 yr old has just got the spots (lots of them) and she's not been anywhere during lockdown other than 4 days of sledging 2 weeks ago - seems crazy!! We were beginning to think she was immune as been exposed loads since she was little bit never caught it ... seems so weird? Anyone else in same situation?

@Merename the second sibling to catch them usually gets them worse because they get a bigger viral load or something. Mind you one of mine caught them at about 8 months old out the blue, didn't go to nursery, none of the other children she'd seen recently had had them. Was strange, I figured she must have got them from a shopping trolley or something, and she was covered in them head to toe but had mild symptoms otherwise.

OP, I've been wondering this exact thing. My youngest is 4 and at nursery and I'm worried that he hasn't had them yet because of Covid. I think I will pay for the vaccine if he hasn't had them before he starts school in September.

My 6 year old has not had them yet I think. Dc has been exposed to them multiple times over the years the first when he was 3 weeks old but gp said as he was being breastfed no need to worry as dc would have immunity from me. No spots or anything. Then once again at 2 years old. And then two consecutive years at nursery. The nursery had something like 60 cases in over the year groups over a couple of months. Dc had one spot I wasn't sure about. I took to gp with me (I had an appt) I asked what they thought and they said it definitely looked 'suspicious' and we would know over the next 24 hours whether it was was. No other spots. And again last year in reception several cases in his class. No spots. So I'm not sure whether he has had them or not. Gp thinks he may just be a carrier and/or has had them but not been symptomatic.

Thanks, all...

@user64332 I'm pondering the same question re vaccination if my DS doesn't catch chicken pox before he goes to school. Still have a bit of time but wondered whether the pandemic might sway things out of our favour. Hopefully nursery will ease things along...

Ds almost 3 had them a couple of weeks ago. It's been in his bubble at nursery since beginning of Jan.. Nursery sent a message saying it spreads so easily they expect all or most of the children in the bubble to get it

You could just get them vaxxed privately? Me and sil have done all our dc

It isn’t that expensive

@Funkypickle breastfeeding doesn't protect from chicken pox. But infants usually have immunity from your placenta that lasts to around 6 months of age.

@Funkypickle

My 6 year old has not had them yet I think. Dc has been exposed to them multiple times over the years the first when he was 3 weeks old but gp said as he was being breastfed no need to worry as dc would have immunity from me. No spots or anything. Then once again at 2 years old. And then two consecutive years at nursery. The nursery had something like 60 cases in over the year groups over a couple of months. Dc had one spot I wasn't sure about. I took to gp with me (I had an appt) I asked what they thought and they said it definitely looked 'suspicious' and we would know over the next 24 hours whether it was was. No other spots. And again last year in reception several cases in his class. No spots. So I'm not sure whether he has had them or not. Gp thinks he may just be a carrier and/or has had them but not been symptomatic.

The immunity from you wasn’t from your breast milk but from the antibodies you produced as a result of having had chickenpox yourself. Passive immunity works well for newborns, regardless of whether they are breastfed or not. You also don’t need to have a spot to have chickenpox, although being pickled in them is more normal.

Ahh thanks for added info re: immunity in new borns. Can't belive the gp is that badly informed. (well actually I can but that's a whole other story) it's something I should have looked up rather than just taken it and now regurgitated it like it's fact. I apologise for the misinformation and thank you for again for correcting me. I'd hate for someone else to get bad info.

Bleh badly written sentence. Wish we could edit posts.

Yes my youngest (ten months) had them a couple weeks past. Few days of misery - we presumed teething. Spots arrived week later.
Mild case thankfully

@KathrynLou our baby hasn't been anywhere except a few walks since Christmas. It's a mystery. I'm still on maternity. Both siblings not at school

I was in the same position @Funkypickle and then my 10 year old got terrible shingles - it was awful, I didn’t know kids could get shingles! I’d love to know if the CP vaccine works for shingles as I’d get it in her but I can’t get a straight answer!!

I'm wondering whether to get DC vaccinated as neither DD(6) or DS (2) have had it that we know of. Couple of odd spots at different points but nothing obvious despite both being exposed at nursery.
But it's £140 for each child so not cheap when you have two!

My dc1 caught them off a friend and had relatively few spots, he then gave them to dc2 who was caked in them. Dc 3 caught them in reception class, that week 21 out of 30 children were off with them, he had a mild case, he then gave them to dc4 who like dc2 was caked in them but not poorly.

@APurpleSquirrel in the end we decided the cash was worth it not to have the time of work for us and school for them

Plus dp and I both scar badly- dp has c pox scars on his head and cheek and we didn’t want that for the dds

I've had my DS vaccinated and I think it's really worth it

I actually had the vaccination booked for my youngest 2 as they hadn't caught them by age 5 and 4 and literally 2 days before the appointment the 5 year old came out in them! She had lots of spots but nothing compared to her sister who started with the pox 3 days after her. Unfortunately she was covered everywhere and ended up with a few scars as her spots were huge. If you can I would get the vaccine!

Definitely not necessarily better when they're younger. When they're babies they don't have the motor skills to scratch them though, so perhaps that's what people mean. Also it's easier to put lots of cream/lotion on as they can't fight you off as a toddler who is ill would?

My 6 month old had them everywhere. Including eyeballs. She was definitely bothered by them. Her belly and chest alone had about 300!! It was horrific and so very sad to see. And the GP said to watch put because if you get them as a baby you don't necessarily have immunity, so she could get them again!!!

My dd1 caught chicken pox aged 10 (exactly, woke on her 10th birthday with them), didn't have too much bother. I was glad she was old and grown up enough to understand not to scratch or pick at them.

@aweegc

Definitely not necessarily better when they're younger. When they're babies they don't have the motor skills to scratch them though, so perhaps that's what people mean. Also it's easier to put lots of cream/lotion on as they can't fight you off as a toddler who is ill would?

My 6 month old had them everywhere. Including eyeballs. She was definitely bothered by them. Her belly and chest alone had about 300!! It was horrific and so very sad to see. And the GP said to watch put because if you get them as a baby you don't necessarily have immunity, so she could get them again!!!

Unlikely as your maternal passive immunity would almost certainly have worn off before six months. Even if it hasn’t, it would be in such a very small amount that a second bout would be mild. However, the fact you say she had so many spots and was bothered strongly suggests she had no passive immunity left.

@Foxhasbigsocks would you mind sharing where you had this done and the approx cost? I don't have faith in our local pharmacist (he looked very perplexed when I asked about it).

I am keen for my 16m old to have the vaccine for chicken pox.

There is an outbreak at DC’s primary school, letter/email about it that several kids are off with it and be vigilant. Also had two outbreaks of nits informed via email and two Covid positive cases informed via email in DC’s class. One of mine is in, one is still homeschooling.
All but one dc has had chicken pox, and mine suffered with it. Head to toe in spots ( ears, nose, feet, scalp, eyelids). Dc1 was affected the most, high temp and fever for days, sickness, aches and then the itching. Dc2 was two weeks to the day after and dc3 two weeks after them.