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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not even bother packing - Chickenpox?

119 replies

Eyeofthelamp · 13/07/2025 10:22

My son was sent home from school on Thursday with the dreaded pox. He’s absolutely fine, but we’re due to
go on holiday in just over a week. I know I can get a fit to fly note before we go, BUT my little girl hasn’t had pox yet. She currently shows no sign of getting them but she will, won’t she? I know I can’t cancel our holiday due to exposure, but I also don’t want to go with the impending risk of her getting them abroad and then being stuck in another country for a week on my own, whilst my husband and son have to
go home.

If we cancel we stand to lose £4.5k, but I just can’t bring myself to even start packing. AIBU? What would you do in these circumstances? I’m feeling pretty crap as this is our only chance to get away this year due to other commitments, so it would be another full year without a holiday if we can’t go 😔

OP posts:
Ilovechocolatetoomuch · 13/07/2025 10:25

If they were exposed at the same time there is a chance she might come out in the next day or two.
Have you got travel insurance?

ToKittyornottoKitty · 13/07/2025 10:26

Will the insurance cover you if you cancel? I wouldn’t cancel until the last minute (or until she’s got them too) if you are going to loose the money anyway

CursiveCrisis · 13/07/2025 10:26

Am I right in thinking you can fly once they are scabbed and dry?

What date do you fly?

Bertielong3 · 13/07/2025 10:28

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

Stressedoutmama58 · 13/07/2025 10:29

OP I would make a timeline, exposure time frame, length of holiday and when you expect her to come out and scab over. You could be lucky that she’s due to come out with the blisters on holiday and scab over my the time you come home?

But worse case your insurance should cover you but you will need a doctors note confirming it costs around £60

Christmastreesparkles · 13/07/2025 10:32

Have a look at getting the chickenpox vaccine for her, it's not guaranteed but it can reduce symptoms even if she has been exposed.

SALaw · 13/07/2025 10:34

Zero certainty she’ll get it. Know of multiple examples where one child in the family got it and not the other, then years later the other child got it.

BeachPossum · 13/07/2025 10:34

What does your insurance say about cancellation for illness? Hopefully your little girl will come out with it soon enough that she's scabbed over by the flight but if not your insurance should cover the cancellation cost. Hopefully she will be well enough for you to go though!

Just in case it's helpful for other parents on the thread, a reminder that you can get your children vaccinated against chickenpox from the age of one. Boots do a double course for £150.

www.boots.com/online/pharmacy-services/chickenpox-vaccination-service?srsltid=AfmBOorMrKR3iTx2kRQEUUR9UKlKmPCJipKgrjwpTZTgAclkREjm5mDZ

Original poster
Eyeofthelamp · 13/07/2025 10:35

It’s unlikely she was exposed at the same time. My son has picked them up in a school. My little girl is only 2.

We do have travel insurance but can’t cancel unless she actually has pox. If she got them on holiday we would be confined to a room for a week, which would be an absolute nightmare!

Shes definitely not showing any signs of illness so I think it could be another week or so before she shows anything 😔

OP posts:
Munchyseeds2 · 13/07/2025 10:36

Usually 2nd child comes out with it as 1st one recovers.

Do the time line, holiday might be ok but bare in mind they can be pretty miserable with it

Original poster
Eyeofthelamp · 13/07/2025 10:36

Christmastreesparkles · 13/07/2025 10:32

Have a look at getting the chickenpox vaccine for her, it's not guaranteed but it can reduce symptoms even if she has been exposed.

I’ve already done this but due to lack of appointments locally it would be far too late after exposure sadly.

OP posts:
Theunamedcat · 13/07/2025 10:41

Well my eldest son had it and as he shared a bath and occasionally a bed with his younger brother we all assumed he had it too I spoke to nursery and said he will be off....no spots no symptoms big brother went back to school he returned to nursery for almost two weeks THEN he came down with chicken pox

It was strange

Overthebow · 13/07/2025 10:41

If there’s any way you can get her the vaccine today, even if you have to travel to get it, then try that. She’s already been exposed to chickenpox so it might not stop it completely although there’s a chance it could, but she could get a very mild version that lasts just for a day or so.

Bumbers · 13/07/2025 10:43

Get the vaccine. Our eldest had it, we got the vaccine fir rhe younger and they never got it. Get it ASAP!

Holidaytimeyay · 13/07/2025 10:44

If you can’t get the vaccine. I think it’s probably a waiting game, you’ll need to get ready for holiday and if she can’t travel, due to chicken pox, claim on your insurance. My DC got chicken pox on holiday, It was a pain as we couldn’t take them anywhere around people so mostly stayed near the room and took turns to go to the pool but they were ok to fly home due to the length of stay.

Some years later, 2 of my other DC got chickenpox quite badly, one of them a twin. The other twin never developed chicken pox despite playing with their siblings every day. You may be lucky 🤞.

WimbyAce · 13/07/2025 10:47

With mine the eldest started getting spots 2 weeks after the youngest.

Didimum · 13/07/2025 10:48

One of my twins got chickenpox and the other didn’t.

LuckysDadsHat · 13/07/2025 10:50

Its normally a 2 week incubation period, so most likely she will come out with them on holiday if she was going to get them. I would take the risk.

MelvinThePenguin · 13/07/2025 10:53

The incubation period is 10-21 days from exposure.

Having been through chickenpox on holiday recently (youngest child, 2nd had it before they were born) I can tell you:

Insurance was fab. No quibbles at all (but as you allude to, covered only one child and parent, so we were a little out of pocket with flight changes to stay together).

We still had a lovely time. However, we were staying in a villa with self catering facilities, had a rental car and were in a place where we could go to breathtaking but empty outdoor places. DD didn’t feel unwell either. If we’d been in a large hotel complex and surrounded by busy beaches etc. and/or she had felt unwell, it would have been awful.

It was still incredibly stressful, though. You never know how long it’s going to take to clear up so I became obsessed with spot checking. We had a complicated itinerary with multiple flights which meant we didn’t have loads of time. Fortunately, she recovered quickly but we did have to go to the doctors twice to get amended fit to fly certificates. That was very, very expensive out of pocket initially, but we got it back.

Our travel insurance renewal was cheaper after the claim. Claims aren’t even a question.

GRex · 13/07/2025 10:55

Talk with your travel provider and insurer to see if you can delay the trip now. Likely she will catch within 2 weeks and have spots for 1-3 weeks.

I don't really understand why people don't bother to vaccinate and then complain that chickenpox is inconvenient. You've decided your children should have the illness instead, nobody ever gets to pick timing for a virus.

MelvinThePenguin · 13/07/2025 10:57

I don't really understand why people don't bother to vaccinate and then complain that chickenpox is inconvenient. You've decided your children should have the illness instead, nobody ever gets to pick timing for a virus.

We tried, a lot, but all local services kept cancelling our appointments due to lack of supply and the need to prioritise those at clinical risk.

mounjarowoes · 13/07/2025 11:02

GRex · 13/07/2025 10:55

Talk with your travel provider and insurer to see if you can delay the trip now. Likely she will catch within 2 weeks and have spots for 1-3 weeks.

I don't really understand why people don't bother to vaccinate and then complain that chickenpox is inconvenient. You've decided your children should have the illness instead, nobody ever gets to pick timing for a virus.

That's really unfair. Until recently clinical advice has been no chicken pox vaccine which is why it's not currently on the nhs childhood vaccinations list.

https://www.nursinginpractice.com/clinical/vaccination-and-infection/potential-introduction-of-chickenpox-vaccine-in-early-2026/

Caspianberg · 13/07/2025 11:03

@GRex - I asked about the vaccine where I live. The doctor wouldn’t give it even though we would be paying private. He said they still don’t thinks it’s good enough as it’s risky for them then as adults if they don’t continue to be vaccinated as adults

IndieRocknRoll · 13/07/2025 11:09

Caspianberg · 13/07/2025 11:03

@GRex - I asked about the vaccine where I live. The doctor wouldn’t give it even though we would be paying private. He said they still don’t thinks it’s good enough as it’s risky for them then as adults if they don’t continue to be vaccinated as adults

You don’t need to go to a GP. We had it at boots. Superdrug offer it too.

Oldlady62 · 13/07/2025 11:09

Christmastreesparkles · 13/07/2025 10:32

Have a look at getting the chickenpox vaccine for her, it's not guaranteed but it can reduce symptoms even if she has been exposed.

Vaccine woukd be ineffective if already exposed. 2 doses needed 4 week apart. Incubaton period 2 weeks . Very expensive too.

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