take a sick child to disney??? flame suit on!!!!

[TENIA66]

we as afamily only have one window a year to take a family vacation, the week before easter...my job pretty much prohibits it otherwise and the hubby is an excavator/farmer and can't go other times either....anyway, the day before we took off the 4 yr old came up with an ear infection........he's so active that the idea of the car seat in the upright position and having him rest with being tied down to the car seat for the 14 hour trip actually worked out quite well for us. the distraction of going on vacation seemed to help him feel better quicker. by the time we'd made it to florida ( 8 hours, overnight, then 6 hours) his fever was gone and he was great......this was our decision a couple of years ago that worked for us, anyone else with this situation??

 

[DVCLiz]

While I wouldn't take an infectious child into a park, an ear infection seems to be a totally different situation to me. After a day on antibiotics, mine were always fine after an ear infection, and if that day happened to be the day we were driving to WDW, so much the better.

If mine had had chicken pox, though, I'd either have postponed the trip or waited to check in until we had a room assignment, and then whisked them to the room, where we would have stayed until the contagious stage had passed. I'm not a germophbe, but it seems unkind, at the very least, to knowingly infect other kids because I had a vacation planned.

 

[DisFam95]

Agree. My friends kids has an ear infection every other month. SOme kids get them all the time. I would not bring a kid w/ something like chicken pox/measles etc or if having a bad respiratory thing..all that coughing all over other people..can you imagine the dirty looks

When I was very young we were in route to Disney from Ohio and my oldest bro got diagnosed w/ Mono. I think they said he was over the contagious part but one of my parents stayed in the hotel w/ him while the rest went out and played until he was checked out again and given the ok.

Be responsible...no one wants your kids germs if they're hacking out a lung

 

[TENIA66]

agree with no contaigous exposure to others!!!!

 

[Not so Dumbo]

Our ds5 started vomiting the night before we left. We had to drive 22hours from where we live. The day we left, he had stopped vomitting but he still had a 101 degree temp. It took us 2days to get to WDW and he slept in the car almost the whole time, so that part worked out well. The first day we went to DTD and I could tell he still wasn't back to normal but by the time we hit the parks he was fine. We just couldn't see spoiling our trip for a mysterious illness that could and did clear up quickly.

 

[becca011906]

I took dd to disney when she had the chicken pox, she had gotten the vacine 2 days before we left and just though it was a reaction... when we returned and talked with the dr she said that it usally doesn't show from the vacine till 2 weeks after and she had the actual chicken pox. I felt awful but what was done was done, i read that if it's a vacine reaction it's not contagous so i wasn't worried, then when the dr told me that i felt awful she was at 2 parks with the spots they were gone by day 3,4,5... she never had a fever or seems uncomfortable at all...

 

[kaysmommie]

Taking a child to Disney or on vacation with chicken pox is just wrong . Other people can get very sick from this. It is very contagious. Adults who haven't had chicken pox can be hospitalized and die from this. If my child had and Ear infection and already started there meds and was recovering that is fine IMO. The stomach Flu is another story though. Stay home, why get other people sick and ruin there vacation too.

 

[bushdianee]

My DSis and I were swimming in the pool at POP this past April when some kid (about 10 or 11) yells out "Hey Dad I'm probably giving everybody in the pool strep since I have strep throat!" The Dad just laughed. Both my DSis and I ended up with very bad cases of bronchitis,her on the way home and I after I was home a couple of daysand passed it to DM who has COPD. Did we get it at the POP, can't say for sure but if that kid did have strep or something else he had NO business being in the pool let alone bragging about it.

 

[antree]

The day before we left my son had gotton an ear infection, he was put on meds and better by the 3nd day. The first day there we didn't do anything and waited for the 2nd day to take him out. If the kids get sick while we are there we stay in the room until it passes. My DD spent the last 5 days of our vaction in the room this year because of fever and sore thoart. I have spent 3 days in the room with my son when he was a baby because of vomiting. We don't go to the parks if they are running a fever or vomiting. I hate when they are sick and so do they, but they feel better just lying around then walking the parks and getting everyone sick.

 

[momof3littlelilos]

Taking a child to Disney or on vacation with chicken pox is just wrong . Other people can get very sick from this. It is very contagious. Adults who haven't had chicken pox can be hospitalized and die from this.

OT and ok w/ being flamed - but these are the people who should be getting chicken pox vaccines. My DH hasn't had chicken pox, but we've agreed that he'll get the vaccine and not the kids. Just seems like common sense to take responsibility for your own health if you know you're at risk.
(BTW - my son was immuno compromised as a young'un and exposed various times - then hospitalized - because irresponsible parents sent their kids to school w/the pox for financial reasons. I'm totally not saying it's okay to irresponsibly infect people. Just if you know you're at risk take responsiblity for vaccinating yourself.)

 

[CowboyCO]

Our DS(4) had an ear infection and was given antibiotics (which probably wouldn't help because most are viral) just one day before we took off from DIA to MCO. His ear hurt on the plane, even with some ibupfrofen. Poor little guy.

He got pretty whiney the first two evenings evening about 7 o'clock and one night my wife took him back to the hotel early and the next I volunteered to take him back to the hotel so she and DS could do EMH at MK. (OK --- so my Wyoming Cowboys were playing in The Las Vegas Bowl against UCLA and I wanted to watch the game desperately! -- BTW Pokes won!)

We did have an experience where my wife and DS(4) were at Fantasmic at MGM and while waiting for the show, the 4 year-old child behind her threw up all over her hair and back. Her parents said NOTHING. Not I'm sorry (I'd be horrified!), no let me help you. They did move over so they wouldn't have their feet in vomit and left that to other people. When I got back to the seat with a cup of water and napkins to help her clean herself up a little bit, I heard one parent tell someone that her poor daughter had been sick for two days since they got to WDW and it was so hard dragging her around the parks because she was sick...

I guess this belongs in the "Shocking" Thread, but OMG!

 

[momof3littlelilos]

We did have an experience where my wife and DS(4) were at Fantasmic at MGM and while waiting for the show, the 4 year-old child behind her threw up all over her hair and back. Her parents said NOTHING. Not I'm sorry (I'd be horrified!), no let me help you. They did move over so they wouldn't have their feet in vomit and left that to other people. When I got back to the seat with a cup of water and napkins to help her clean herself up a little bit, I heard one parent tell someone that her poor daughter had been sick for two days since they got to WDW and it was so hard dragging her around the parks because she was sick...

I guess this belongs in the "Shocking" Thread, but OMG!

Eww! That's so gross. I'm sorry. I can't even imagine...
Some people are just amazingly narcissistic...or would it be sociopathic...I dunno...sometimes I'm just totally floored by people.

 

[becca011906]

Taking a child to Disney or on vacation with chicken pox is just wrong . Other people can get very sick from this. It is very contagious. Adults who haven't had chicken pox can be hospitalized and die from this. If my child had and Ear infection and already started there meds and was recovering that is fine IMO. The stomach Flu is another story though. Stay home, why get other people sick and ruin there vacation too.

I would NOT have taken her had i thought that she was contagious. I asumed it was a reaction from the shot. And i agree there are vacines for various reasons. NOT that i advicate vacines in any way shape or form but if you choice not to vacinate then you are choicing to possilbe catch something...

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

OT and ok w/ being flamed - but these are the people who should be getting chicken pox vaccines. My DH hasn't had chicken pox, but we've agreed that he'll get the vaccine and not the kids. Just seems like common sense to take responsibility for your own health if you know you're at risk.
(BTW - my son was immuno compromised as a young'un and exposed various times - then hospitalized - because irresponsible parents sent their kids to school w/the pox for financial reasons. I'm totally not saying it's okay to irresponsibly infect people. Just if you know you're at risk take responsiblity for vaccinating yourself.)

One of the big categories of children at risk from chicken pox is children who are immuno-comprimised because of steroid use (because of severe asthma, or other imflamatory condition). Unfortunately, steroids also interfere with the effectiveness of the vaccine -- leaving those children unprotected. Infants also can't be vaccinated.

As far as the "irresponsible" parents, children with chicken pox are the most contagious BEFORE there are any symptoms. Chances are your child would have gotten chicken pox anyway if they were in the same class.

 

[kellyg403]

[As far as the "irresponsible" parents, children with chicken pox are the most contagious BEFORE there are any symptoms. Chances are your child would have gotten chicken pox anyway if they were in the same class.[/QUOTE]

My son WAS vaccinated for the pox and got them anyway. On the last day at WDW he woke up and said something bit him all over, he had the chicken pox. The school did have a few cases but he was part of the must be vacinated to enter kindegarten group. No need to worry they said. Guess what. Nothing is 100% and chickenpox are most contagious during the 2 week incubation period when the child may or may not have mild flu symptoms. Until they break out you have NO clue they have them. We left immediately that morning and did advise the resort. Irresponsible would have been walking around the parks for the last two days we were scheduled for vacation. You would be surprised at how many diseases you are probably exposed to that have an incubation period that have no symptoms.

Kelly

 

[barkley]

i likely would'nt take my child on vacation with an ear infection because i have had them all my life (predominantly as a child and young adult) and have experienced what can happen when one goes terribly 'wrong' in a matter of moments. i had repeated ear infections as a child some severe some not so severe. the one that caused me the greatest pain and trauma was one that felt mild/had a low fever associated with it and seemed to be responding well to antibiotics- bending over to pick up something i felt a searing pain in my ear, lost my sense of balance and could hear nothing. a trip to the e/r found that my eardrum had ruptured--and as a result i was under medical treatment for some time and it took several months for my balance and hearing to restore completly. i can't imagine how it would have been to have needed to wait until an e/r could be located (while traveling on the road or mid airline flight) or standing/rideing in an amusement park-i did well to drop to my knees on a carpeted floor and not get further injury. the e/r docs advised that they had seen it happen before with changes in pressure in the ear due to the usual things (change in cabin pressure on an airplane, change in altitude when people travel) but it could also happen with a sudden jolt given the right circumstances with an infection. i'm just not willing to take a chance with my or my children's health.

btw-re chicken pox-adults who have had it are not vaccinated against it, but if they get shingles which is another form of the same virus it can cause a flare up if they are exposed to a child during the contagious stage (both my kids had the vaccine, got a very light case a few months later and both their pediatrician and both my mom and my mil's md's said to keep them away from the grandmoms who'de both had the pox and cases of shingles to prevent a reoccurance).

 

[kaysmommie]

OT and ok w/ being flamed - but these are the people who should be getting chicken pox vaccines. My DH hasn't had chicken pox, but we've agreed that he'll get the vaccine and not the kids. Just seems like common sense to take responsibility for your own health if you know you're at risk.
(BTW - my son was immuno compromised as a young'un and exposed various times - then hospitalized - because irresponsible parents sent their kids to school w/the pox for financial reasons. I'm totally not saying it's okay to irresponsibly infect people. Just if you know you're at risk take responsiblity for vaccinating yourself.)

Actually I had to get the vaccine years ago. But you can still get chicken pox even with the vaccine. People should be more responsible and not take their sick kids to Disney or school for that matter. It's just not right. If your kids are very ill have some common courtesy and stay home until their better.
BTW Strep can damage your heart, if you didn't know this already.

 

[kaysmommie]

I would NOT have taken her had i thought that she was contagious. I asumed it was a reaction from the shot. And i agree there are vacines for various reasons. NOT that i advicate vacines in any way shape or form but if you choice not to vacinate then you are choicing to possilbe catch something...

All of my kids have been vacinated. So I don't know why that has come up. And I know they can have a few pox after having the shot because their pediatrician already told me so I understand where you are coming from. You can still get the chicken pox even with the shot. But someone who knows their child is really sick and goes to school or on vacation is just rude beyond words. It's also wrong to drag a sick child through a theme park. How are they supposed to get better. Seems very selfish to me. I love Disney but if one of my children gets ill we will stay home or at the hotel and get better.

 

[LaraK]

My son is often sick, he has several underlying diagnoses that cause him to spike fevers, cough, and even throw up. (he has cyclical fever syndrome, asthma and eosinophilic esophegitis) It doesn't necessarily mean he his contageous. If your child is truly contageous, keep them away from other. People like my son have a weakened immune system that can make them more susceptable to the illness and they fair much, much worse than the average child.

All kids get colds, it's part of being a kid. Just teach them about hand washing and covering their cough and, when they are young, you be dillegent about watching them.

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

All kids get colds, it's part of being a kid. Just teach them about hand washing and covering their cough and, when they are young, you be dillegent about watching them.

Great advise! Along those lines, when you teach them to cover sneezes and coughs, teach them to do it with the inside off the elbow. This way the germs are not on their hands only to be easily spread by contact until they find a place to wash.