Chicken pox?

[fitnessmouse]

We leave this saturday for the US, sailing on the wonder 4/30.
Just now I discoverd that there is Chicken pox at my daughter's daycare. I hope she won't get it, i am keeping her home tomorrow. If she does get it, will they let us get on the ship?

 

[Paula13]

Wasn't she vaccinated? If so, she will probably be fine. If not, they probably won't show up for about a week.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

Chicken pox is contagious until the pox scab over, if I'm not mistaken.
I would check with your doctor but I believe (could be wrong) there is a 3 week incubation period. Your DD was exposed prior to the pox showing up on the other child.

Not sure if Disney will let you board. I would call and ask. To be honest, I would hope they wouldn't let you board but that's just my personal opinion.
But call your doctor to ask about the incubation period and if your DD gets it, when does she become non-contagious.

Good luck and I hope she is pox free!!

 

[kcashner]

Chicken pox is most contagious in the 48-72 hours before a child exhibits any symptoms...which is why in the days before vaccination, it would spread wildly thru schools, etc. During this time, the child appears to have a cold or has no symptoms at all. The current vaccines do have a small failure rate, but it is less than 10%--meaning that if YOUR child has been vaccinated, he/she has a less than 10% chance of exhibiting any signs/symptoms of the disease. Yes, there is a chance that the child with the disease is a vaccine failure, but far more likely is that the parents failed to have the child vaccinated.

The incubation period for the disease is 14-21 days. Thus, if your child is going to get sick, you can expect a break out 2-3 weeks after the initial exposure. If your child is showing any symptoms, she will not be allowed on the ship.

 

[wcw57]

if she contracts C.P., Disney (and all "carriers"..e.g airlines) usually ban the infected one.

However, even if she is scabbed (not contagious) they are liekly to ban as well....that is what God and Maybelline invented makeup for. No hazard to other people and still get on vacation....scabs disappear in a day or so and VIOLA! healthy, happy children travel with whole family.

 

[atinkerbellmom]

We leave this saturday for the US, sailing on the wonder 4/30.
Just now I discoverd that there is Chicken pox at my daughter's daycare. I hope she won't get it, i am keeping her home tomorrow. If she does get it, will they let us get on the ship?

Actually if she has already been exsposed, it is too late. Keeping her home today only gives you a peace of mind.... If she is going to get it from the exsposure, it is already in her system. If you chose to have her vaccinated then she only has about a 6% chance of catching the disease. The poxs will not appear for 12-14 days from the time of exsposure, which is 2 days prior to the kid breaking out who has the case. Chicken Pox is a viral infection that is actually spread by the respiration route. SO the child gets it by being in the same room as the person and just "breathing". Chicken Pox spreads on a rampage in confine enviroments such as a ship or plane. I actually caught mine on an airplane as a teenager.

If she has not gotton her shots, she most likely will catch the disease and probably break out while on the ship. You will then have to leave the ship and find a nice hotel to crash at for the next week, so I sure hope you have insurance!!!!! Also the chicken pox can be deadly in some people. The poor babies on the ship, the elderly, the immune suppressed. So if she were to break out prior to the trip, she will not be allowed to board the plane, not to mention the ship. Some healthy children also get very sick with the disease. One of my kids got a 105 degree fever with the disease. So I do not think a little make-up would make anyone enjoy the cruise.

 

[fitnessmouse]

Well, appearantly we do not vaccinate against chicken pox in this country. Both my kids get their 'mandatory' shots from the government program, and almost all the kids here do, but they (almost) all get chicken pox.
I am not sure i am wording this right.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

You're wording it fine. The Netherlands doesn't vaccinate against chicken pox. Good luck with everything. I hope your DD stays healthy.

 

[kcashner]

Oh my! I didn't notice that you were in the Netherlands until your last post. You've got a problem.....based on the information you've given us, your child is likely to get chicken pox right about the time of the cruise. PP is right--if there is evidence of infection, neither the airline nor the ship will allow the child on board.

Vaccination has been recommended by the CDC in the US since 1995. Prior to that time, it was advised for "at risk" children (those with immunosuppression, etc). I'm quite sure of the date because my pediatrician and I were actively debating whether or not my child should be vaccinated (made for good discussion while hanging out on L&D at night...), and my DD got chicken pox one month before the vaccine was released for general use.

A child who has not been vaccinated has very high probability of developing the active disease after a confirmed exposure. However, some kids develop immunity without ever seeming to have disease...presumably from a sub-clinical infection.

I really hope you have a well child and can enjoy your vacation...but the timing is not in your favor. Hopefully you have travel insurance!

 

[lbgraves]

Here in the US it is a vaccination that is offered but not required until they start Kindergarten and is mandated on a state level.

I hope that your DD does not end up getting chicken pox and you can enjoy your vacation.

 

[atinkerbellmom]

Your wording is fine.... I actually did see that you were from Europe, but thought you guys were almost the same as us here in the US. When looking at both health wellness plans, usually Europe is ahead of us or very similar. It does look as you are in the timing window. I will be honest, come up with a plan with your family. After one of my kids was exsposed (and due to health reasons can not get that shot), we were literally on our way the next day on a trip across the country. We came up with the Operation Pox" plan. We planned additional days for her and I to stay where we were for an additional week as I knew she could not get on a plane if she had come down with the disease. True enough.... good thing we had a plan. Just to let you know, if she breaks out on the ship, you will be taken off the ship. To allow you to just saty in the room still exsposes everyone. You will then be stuck here until the disease has run it's course and the pox scab over. Takes about 5 days from breakout. I am soooooo sorry. I totally understand the pit feeling in the middle of your stomach.... Just bad timing.... It is a "bummer" as we say here..... Your insurance should pay though.... Here is a I do feel bad for anyone traveling who should not get exsposure. I have a friend who's child loss sight in one eye from the pox being in the eye line. SO that is what I too am afraid of. What if she ends up being one of the kids who gets really sick. I sure hope if she breaks out, you are here in the states and not already to one of the third world POC. Here is another You need it.

 

[Cruise]

I just wanted to mention again....beg you... that if you think your child might have chicken pox, please don't expose other people to the virus.

Many people think of chicken pox as relatively harmless and a "right of passage" of childhood, but exposure to the virus can also cause shingles to activate in older people. This can cause months of horrible pain as the virus makes its way along nerves throughout the body. I've personally seen this and it is not something I could ever imagine putting someone through.

 

[fitnessmouse]

The problem is, you don't know if she has it until it's too late (the contagious phase is before the breakout). She might have it, she might not, how do you know? She's almost 4, there have been many times at daycare when she was exposed to cp, and she never got them. I am soooo crossing my fingers that she is immune.

We do have insurance, that's not the problem, we'll get the money refunded. It's just not a money thing. We just don't ever get to take another trip like this for the same money.
We booked the hotel for 14 nights, so if we don't get to board the ship, we'll still have a place to stay, so in that case, travel insurance will probably only refund the cruise fare. (I am happy to stay in Orlando a little longer if she does break out.....-No, just kidding) We just can't go a couple days, weeks, or months later either, as this trip was 'perfectly' timed with school holiday, son's birthday, and we got all the ADR's we wanted too. ;-(

But seriously, It's not like, oh we can't go now, let's cancel and go in july./august during the summer holidays, as just the airfare will be triple of what we paid now.

 

[Tooth Fairy]

Here's a positive story. I come from a large family of 7 kids. Everyone had it but me. My parents made me sleep with younger siblings so I would be exposed. Never got it. Plus exposure at school as well as I have worked in the dental field for 20+ years and have been in close contact with unknown numbers of children who were unknowingly infectious. Wishing you that luck

 

[KLR-wlv]

That's tough - You don't want to cancel a huge trip "just in case" she has the chicken pox. If she doesn't get it - there was no medical reason to cancel and insurance won't reimburse. My sisters were around many kids with chicken pox in grade school and never contracted it until I got it. So to assume she'll get it is not totally accurate. I would go and if she gets it deal with quarantine, etc. BTW, My kids both had the vaccine and both got mild cases of chicken pox.

 

[kcashner]

Actually, your insurance might pay if you are quarantined in the hotel and can't do any of the "fun" things on the vacation. If it is like US insurance, it should include medical coverage as well. Be sure that you take her to the doctor so that you have proof of the illness and submit everything you can for re-imbursement. But for now...hope for pixie dust and no pox!

 

[WDBRDWLK]

Please be aware that chicken pox is also very dangerous for men who have never had it. If they do come down with chicken pox it can make them sterile.

 

[atinkerbellmom]

That's tough - You don't want to cancel a huge trip "just in case" she has the chicken pox. If she doesn't get it - there was no medical reason to cancel and insurance won't reimburse. My sisters were around many kids with chicken pox in grade school and never contracted it until I got it. So to assume she'll get it is not totally accurate. I would go and if she gets it deal with quarantine, etc. BTW, My kids both had the vaccine and both got mild cases of chicken pox.

I do agree with this in that you can not cancel just in case.... I think it is a very tough situation. I do send that it does not happen.... But for everyone, especially the people who say just use make up and cover them ; THINK of all of the Make A Wish kids on DCL cruises. Each time I travel there are multiple ones on the ship. Many times these are immune supressed kids that can get in BIG trouble if exsposed. What about the kids club and exsposure....? What about the lovely pregnant women on the ship? I just want to send you some

 

[wwwosie]

if she contracts C.P., Disney (and all "carriers"..e.g airlines) usually ban the infected one.

However, even if she is scabbed (not contagious) they are liekly to ban as well....that is what God and Maybelline invented makeup for. No hazard to other people and still get on vacation....scabs disappear in a day or so and VIOLA! healthy, happy children travel with whole family.

Hi! I don't think wcw is suggesting anyone get on the ship if they are contagious, only if the scabs are still showing on happy healthy children....

 

[Cruise]

That's tough - You don't want to cancel a huge trip "just in case" she has the chicken pox. If she doesn't get it - there was no medical reason to cancel and insurance won't reimburse. My sisters were around many kids with chicken pox in grade school and never contracted it until I got it. So to assume she'll get it is not totally accurate. I would go and if she gets it deal with quarantine, etc. BTW, My kids both had the vaccine and both got mild cases of chicken pox.

Bolding mine.... you do realize that if they get on the plane or the cruise and "she gets it," that she's already exposed dozens of other people to the virus by that point, right? That's before she'd ever show outward signs and actually be quarantined.