Chickenpox etiquette

[Mamabear04]

DD has come out in chickenpox type spots today. 99% sure it is chickenpox. Obviously will call her nursery on Monday morning and keep her absent from 5 days from today. Just wondering about chickenpox etiquette...

Can I take DD to the shops with me?

Can I take DD to the playpark?

Can she see GP who are in their late 60s with no serious underlying health conditions - will they be at risk of shingles?

How long before I can visit a friend with a newborn? (DD won't be with me but may have DS who has never had it/might have it but not showing any spots)

How long before it's safe to visit a friend with cancer?

And some advice...

What can I do if DS (7 months) gets it? Should I call the GP?

Can I do anything to help? I ran to the chemist tonight and got antihistamine and lotion for DD. Should I start giving her these when she wakes up in the morning? She's 3 years old.

Anything else I should know? Obviously planning to avoid places like soft play, swimming, play cafes etc.

Nowhere in public. For vulnerable friends I would stay away until you knew DS didn't have it.

With their GP, if they've had CP, then repeated exposure to chicken pox actually reduces their chance of getting shingles!

Yes, that is why the UK doesn't vaccinate against chicken pox, so that your children's infections can keep the older people's (who also had chicken pox as children) immunity up to speed so they have less chance of getting shingles. Seems like a lack of long term planning really.

Surely it’s a no brainer that you stay at home??? Your 7 mo old will get it too.

Mine had it back to back at DS1 2 years and DS2 6 months. Online shopping and cbeebies is how we made it through almost a month at home.

No to shops, play park, grandparents or vulnerable friend.

DO NOT under any circumstances visit the newborn. If the baby catches it, and it is highly infectious, it can cause a brain infection resulting in serious disability or death. (Chickenpox encephalitis).

I'd strongly recommend you get the baby vaccinated quickly it is not too late to do it. The second child to get chickenpox within a family often gets a much more severe case due to breathing in heavy viral loads for days. We had a similar situation when my eldest got the super-mild vaccinated chickenpox (she had had the jab, but vaccinated kids still get an extremely mild version where they get a few small spots and no other symptoms) and the clinic agreed to vaccinate DD2 who was about 10mo at the time even though she was under the normal age for the vaccine, because it was risker for her to be exposed to full blown chicken pox.

Nope. CP vaccination is now normal in most developed countries and has been for a couple of decades or so, and we are not seeing increases in shingles among old people.

The UK doesn't vaccinate against CP because the Wakefield scandal happened just at the time when the UK was about to bring out the MMRV (MMR plus chickenpox vaccine). It was decided that with MMR rates dropping, it would be unwise to take the risk of adding another component to a vaccine that parents already seemed afraid of. By the time the Wakefield scandal was discredited, the momentum was lost and the UK was into austerity, so the decision was made to quietly drop the issue and save money.

Interesting. I'm not in the UK and was surprised to see a post about chicken pox because it is super rare here (is standard part of childhood vaccinations) so was googling and this article below from Oxford Uni explained the cost benefit link to shingles. Which seems crazy because over time you'd have less people vulnerable due to less infections in the first place.

www.ox.ac.uk/research/everything-you-need-know-about-chickenpox-and-why-more-countries-don%E2%80%99t-use-vaccine

You need to stay home until all the sports have scabbed over (usually about 5 days/ a week). Personally I'd give it another week after that before visiting the newborn or cancer sufferer, just incase your other child has it and is in the incubation period.

When DD had it I did have to take her on DS's school run (he'd already had it), but stood at the far end of the playground instead of in line, and they sent him over.

Just to clarify I would never visit my newborn/cancer patient until I knew it was OK. Was asking more about incubation periods so probably wasn't clear about that.

Will try the Oat bath. Is head and shoulders bath really a thing? It rings a bell...

Personally I wouldn't be putting head and shoulders in the bath. Or anything. Just water.

Just to note just because you have had chickenpox in the past doesn't mean you can't have it again. I had quite a severe case as a child and my mum and nanny, who both had CP as children, also broke out with spots. So keep an eye on yourself too.

Why would she need to see the GP? It's a virus, GPs can't do anything to chicken pox.

No to play parks, no to visiting any vulnerable people. I would personally wait until the spots are gone before visiting friend with cancer/newborn. Yes to shops if you have no other options but put her in a pram rather than trolley and don't let her touch anything.

If DS gets it you could call the GP for advice but I'd imagine it wouldn't be any different to the advice for the 3yo.
Yes give her antihistamine in the morning. You can also give calpol but do not give ibuprofen. Oat baths are good and then apply the lotion after she's been in the bath.

Stay at home. It’s only around a week. If you need to go out then go to open places where she won’t come into contact with others eg large open grass area, quiet beach.

My DS 19 months has it now, DD 4 had it 2 weeks ago. Loads of people have said this has been the pattern for them so I would put of visiting elderly/vulnerable people for a while as it’s likely your 7 month old will get it.

PoxClin CoolMousse Chicken Pox Treatment for Children - Chicken Pox Relief Kids - Relieve Symptoms and Itch of Chickenpox - Natural Ingredients - Cool Mousse Chicken Pox Cream Alternative - 100 ml amzn.eu/d/670qpNx

This stuff has been great. We got it a few days in for DD but DS had it from the start and his spots are already crusting over. Only came out yesterday.

Grandparents I would visit if they're ok with it. You can't catch shingles from chickenpox.

Small baby with DS I wouldn't visit for the next 2 weeks as he might be incubating it and you wouldn't know.

Play park-no I wouldn't but would go for a walk in open space for some fresh air.

Nursery- you might find their policy is wait until all spots are scabbed. This can sometimes be a lot longer than the 5 days so I wouldn't bank on her being back quickly.

Cancer friend- no defo not for at least a cpl of weeks prob 3 to be safe.

Just to say none of mine have ever even been ill with chickenpox. DS3 just carried on as normal albeit very spotty! Obviously we still followed the guidelines etc

I think the older they get the more chance of being poorly. My dd didn't get it till she was 8 or 9 and she was so so poorly with it. Dh got it at 18 and he said he was the illest he's ever been. Ds got it as a toddler the same time as dd and they were fine. I always say the earlier the better in my experience

As others have said. No park. My neighbour allowed her then 6 year old to play in the playground for a whole week whilst the child had chicken pox as she was in the middle of a house move. Totally fucking selfish imo

You need to stay home until the spots have scabbed over. No shops, no park, no visiting people.

Virasoothe is fantastic, I used it when I had shingles and it was an absolute lifesaver. Used it on DDs chicken pox and it stopped her scratching. Oat baths also do work although they seem bonkers. I put a mug of oats in a pop sock, tie it off and put in boiling water for a bit to steep. Then chucked the whole lot into a filled bath and 'washed' with the oat filled sock.

the baby can’t be taken for the chickenpox vaccine, have to be older than 12 months. And it must be done the same day as the 12 month jabs OR a month before/after. Not helpful for the OP but just mentioning because someone said about it up thread

Can I just clarify that as soon as her spots have scabbed over it's OK to venture out? We've been house bound since since the rash appeared!

Yes you can go out with her if she is fully scanned over. But your DS will be likely to be infectious even if he hasn't got spots yet. So if you have him with you, be considerate as to where you go.

*scabbed