Chicken pox after a birthday party

[gmh27]

My DD had her birthday party this Saturday just gone (ball pit, bouncy castle etc). A mother of one of the children has told me this morning (monday 2 days later) that her child has woken up covered in chicken pox.

Are my DD and DS likely to have caught it? We go on a long haul holiday in less than two weeks that cost us a lot of money and I am now panicking 😞

TIA

I think you need to get both children vaccinated as soon as possible. This can still prevent getting the illness (or reduce its severity).

It’s possible that anyone from the party could have caught it. It’s contagious from up to two days before the spots appearing. It’s spread by respiratory droplets. So sorry, yes it’s possible.

Good advice about the vaccine. I’d try to get it done today if you can.

Yes, it’s likely. It’s really contagious and easily spread.

You can try the vaccination now but I think you still run the risk that it will only minimise things, rather than prevent it.

Two weeks is often the inclination period, although it can be as long as three weeks. I hope you have comprehensive travel insurance and it’s probably worth ringing the provider now to check the process for not being able to travel or being contained in your hotel room and having to extend your stay.

Did you get your travel insurance in place as soon as you booked? As pp said, you should probably give them a call.

It’s impossible to say. Chicken pox went around dd’s nursery. 25 kids, at one point 20 of them out with it. She was there 9-5 5 days a week. She didn’t get it. She did get it the following year though. 🤷🏻‍♀️

If you really don’t want it, pay for the vaccination urgently.

There is some sort of serum that isn’t the vaccine but reduces severity.

Thanks everyone, I’ve booked them both in for a chickenpox vaccination at midday today, and we have sufficient travel insurance should it come to that.

Hi everyone – just to let you know we’re currently running a vaccinations Q&A with two NHS experts.

If you’d like to ask them directly about things like schedules, side effects, eligibility or outbreak concerns, you can post your question here.