Hi

The incubation period is approx 2 weeks. It is also contagious a few days before spots appear. If there is lots off at school with it then yes it maybe wise, but it could be that he could already have it if he has been in contact before their spots appear. I know how you feel as I worry about this very year as I have a 3 year old whos not yet had them. It's a tricky one

Jo

Went to Antigua a couple of years ago. Arrived there on the saturday afternoon, woke up sunday morning to my daughter smothered in chicken pox!!! Total nightmare!!!

If your grandson does catch chickenpox and still has the rash then you may be advised to get him a 'fit to fly' letter from the doctor, this will save any hassle at the airport if staff are concerned about his spots.

My son came out in chickenpox when we were in Lanzarote many years ago. He was treated in the clinic there but they needed to check his spots the day before we flew in order for us to get a 'fit to fly' letter on the return journey as, depending on the stage of his rash was whether we could fly or not. We did

I'd be inclined to go with you in keeping him off nursery BUT there's a very good chance that he's already been exposed to it and could be carrying it ready for the spots to erupt (probably the night before you fly as is sods law).

A week of nursery won't harm him and if it does stop him from getting them now it would be worth it.

Thanks for all your replies, I have managed to talk her into keeping him off nursery next week, as I put it to her it's not as if he's sitting his GCSE's

I have a horrid wait. We are due to got to Turkey in 2 weeks time but my older son aged 12 and his friend have come out in spots at the same time, which is bizaar!!

I don't think they're chikenpox but his friend has been to doctors and he says his are. My son's don't itch and are mainly on his stomach. He has already had chickenpox but I know you can get them again.

My youngest hasn't had them yet so I'm dreading the nearer it gets to hols that he'sgoing to get them.
I'm hoping and praying that it isn't chickenpox. It seems strange that 2 people come out with the same rash on same day at roughly same time.

Jo

Sometimes if you have had chickenpox but are exposed to the virus again you can get something called shingles.

This happened to me when I was a kid. I lived in London and was exposed to it and had it when I was 7, we then moved to Hertfordshire when I was 8 where it was 'doing the rounds' and I must have been exposed again and that time I caught something called shingles. (well that was what the Dr told my Mum it was).

That's right, you can't get chicken pox more than once but when the virus has been in your system you might get shingles at some point. This doesn't necessarily come from someone else who has chicken pox but could be down to stress or all number of reasons.

He does need to see a doctor actually, even though he's not in pain or itchy - he does need to have some medication otherwise it won't go away - adults who get it usually are signed off work for about a fortnight.

You can get Chicken Pox (varicella zoster virus) more than once, the text books will tell you that once exposed to the virus that usually the patient acquires a life-long immunity and having a second "dose" is extremely rare, but those cases of "extremely rare" are not as rare as some would have us believe.

A mild dose in childhood can sometimes be missed along with other childhood illness's, or the dose is so mild that the bodies immune system can deal with it, and the degree of life-long immunity acquired, is debateable.

Normally, once exposed to the virus the visible symptoms run their course and the body eliminates the virus from the system, but it remains dormant in the ganglia adjacent to the spinal cord (called the dorsal root ganglion) a kind of "junction box" in the nervous system, or in the ganglion at the cranial base (ganglion Gasseri) and when the time is right (usually when a person has a compromised immune system) then the virus becomes re-activated and travels from the base of the nerve up through the axon to the nerve endings under the skin, where it manifests itself as a localised rash/blisters....... hence it is called shingles.

Usually, the area affected with the shingles rash, is where the virus has been re-activated at the junction box of nerves, IE abdomen, from here the nerves spread out across the abdomen.

You can't "catch" shingles from someone with shingles, but if you've never had chicken pox, then you can catch chicken pox from someone with shingles, and the shingles rash remains contagious until all the vesticles (blisters) have scabbed over and are dry.

Chicken Pox is transferred by direct contact with the broken blisters and airborne droplets, shingles is contagious by direct contact and you should take several precautions like not sharing the same towel as other members of the household .....also, if possible cover the area with a dressing and this will help to stop the spread of the virus by contact.

Quite simply, if you couldn't get chicken pox more than once, then you would never get Shingles.

Sanjiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Thanks Sanjii

What a month I'm having. First I go in hospital for an abcess draining and don't know if am able to go to weekend in Benidorm, but I go then my hubby gets rushed into hospital with severe stomach pains, and now on tender hooks wondering if youngest son is going to get chickenpox just in time for our holiay to Turkey on 29th.

I'm off to do some serious praying now

I'm still not sure whether my son has chickenpox or not, I suppose if they don't scab that will be tell tale sign.

Jo

Fingers crossed for you Jo, perhaps it will come to nothing.

Someone told me that in the US they vacinate for chickenpox, although I didnt verify if this was true, but we dont as it isn't considered serious enough to warrent vacinating against. However I must say when my son caught it he was very ill in the middle of having it for a period of about 36 hours and I was extremely worried about him (he had raging temperatures and very unwell ) although he may have had a particularly bad case of it I suppose.

you can get complications with chicken pox, and i urge anyone who is worried about a poorly person to get medical help....i dont just mean grumpy, and itchy, follow your gut instinct if thats what you feel....

good post sanji