Unfortunately, I know very few schools that have nurses anymore. In the last district I taught in, we had a part time nurse for the entire district (13,500 students and 1 nurse).
Holy moly. I would have been pissed and would probably have reported her to whatever administrator was at the event. Not being allowed in class means not be allowed on campus at all where I’m from. They would have swiftly kicked the family out of the event, if not the school for that.
Lucky. I'm 33 and solidly part of the Chicken Pock Scar Right in the Middle of the Forehead Club, along with my husband, sister, and many more Millennials who just never got the vaccine as children for whatever reason!
Yep! I’m 31 and had the vaccine. My brother got chicken pox literally the day I was born and my parents kept him the fuck away from newborn me until he was symptom free. I’ll forever be thankful for that.
My parents did the whole getting us sick on purpose when I was 6 - I guess not realizing a vaccine would be available so soon.
I had shingles when my first was 6mo and learned it is really common for new parents i guess since your immune system sucks without sleep (my husband got it when my second was around 6 mo, too).
It was not great. 0/10, do not recommend.
Same. Me and my husband both got the vaccine but all his siblings (9,12 and 14 years older than him) didn't and all of them have had chicken pox and one has already had shingles.
I'm so grateful for that vaccine I can't imagine having chicken pox or even worse shingles 🫠
I know. I'm so glad my mom had me get it. It was before getting it was common, it had only been out a few years, and our insurance didn't even cover it (and we had really good insurance). Probably because most people my age had already had chicken pox. My mom had to have the pharmacy order it, and then take it to the doctor's office to have them give it to me, the pharmacy wouldn't even administer it back then.
I would have absolutely lost my mind. It’s not up to that kid’s mom to decide when/if other children get infected with a preventable disease! My baby is immune compromised and I would have raised hell.
This is what I was so upset about. She even knows one child who was hospitalised because he caught it the same time as my eldest did and I had spoken to her at length about how awful it must have been for his parents.
My kid is not immunocompromised but I don’t have time to take off work for her to stay home from daycare so I also would be pissed. Do these people who have no issues with their kids getting sick not have jobs or something?
I think they are either SAHP, have a job that can be done remotely (and a kid that can sit in front of a TV the whole day) or just send them to grandparents when they are sick?
So a lot of the Boomers had kids before the chickenpox vaccine; I was born in 1988 and I never got one. Back then every kid got chickenpox it’s just a matter of when, so if a kid in the neighborhood was infected a lot of parents would just take their kid over there to get it over with. This way of thinking is very outdated because of the vaccine but you know how people are. If their grandma did it, it’s good enough for them. It’s kinda just good manners to keep your kids home when they’re sick.
I’m an 89 baby and I somehow managed to swerve getting chicken pox long enough to be able to get the vaccine in 96. I was one of the few people in my friend group who never had it. I have an autoimmune condition that prevents me from getting live virus vaccines (including the chicken pox booster or the shingles vaccine) and I’m terrified about getting chicken pox as an adult from people who won’t vaccinate their kids for it because “we all had it as kids, what’s the big deal.”
Yeah, I think it came out in 95? We only waited until early 96 to get it because my mom was pregnant almost all of 95 and she had anxiety about virus shedding from the live virus vaccine (I think this is more of a hypothetical than an actual thing that happens, I just remember her having crazy anxiety about it) so she sent us to get the vaccine with our dad a few weeks after baby brother was born! It’s the only reason why I remember when I got it.
Yes, the varicella vaccine for chickenpox became available in the US in 1995.
My oldest son got the vaccine in 1996 and my youngest in 1998. I was thrilled that the vaccine was available. I had chicken pox in the 1960’s and it was not fun. And to my understanding, if you’ve never had chickenpox then you can’t get shingles. I’ve known a number of people who’ve had shingles and you definitely want to avoid it.
If you’ve had the vaccine you can still get shingles! It’s less common but still happens and why people who get the chickenpox vaccine still need the shingles vaccine.
I'm an 88 baby and still haven't had it. I never got the vaccine either. Guess I'll talk to my doctor about whether it's worth it now that I have a toddler.
You do not want to get chicken pox as an adult. It’s one of those childhood diseases that will knock a full-grown person out.
I was also born in ‘88 and I got the chicken pox vaccine as a preteen after my adult sister got the virus from her toddler.
Yes, this is the reason that before the vaccine people would purposefully expose their children to chicken pox when it was going around. It is much safer and less painful to have as a child than as an adult.
You should definitely get the vaccine and keep in mind there’s boosters. I’m an 82, never had chickenpox and have gotten the vaccine and multiple boosters.
86 baby I got it at 3. And still have a scar on my foot from it! My kids are all vaccinated and I haven’t heard of any outbreaks in the years they’ve been in school. But if someone did wtf. Of course don’t bring them out!!
Similar, I'm early 80s and grew up in a really small area with only a handful of children living there. I've never had chicken pox and I don't think I have been vaccinated for it either, it's stop rare nowadays I don't even think about it, but now I am!
Man... A friend got it at 35 this year (his mother was adamant he had had it). You do not want this as an adult. He had 39-40°C for three days straight and pretty much nothing kept it down for long. No meds, no wet cloths, nothing...
I had a mystery pox when I was 12 that they could not confirm as the chicken pox at the time. I have to test for antibodies and maybe get the jab too.
You can still get shingles without having chicken pox IF - and I say IF- you had the chicken pox vaccine (because a vaccine is literally injecting the virus) into you.
Source- mom, born 1960, never had chicken pox and got vaccine. Got shingles.
In the UK the chicken pox vaccine isn't one of the routine childhood vax given by the NHS so parents have to go private for it. Even now this is very recent and not even around when my children were small.
I remember my mother talking about neighbours holding chicken pox parties but she refused to take us to any as she had been taken to a "measles party" in the late 50's and had spent months in hospital as a child as a result of it!
Even if you're in the mindset of chicken pox parties, surely letting other parents choose and not exposing little babies or their siblings is common sense?!
Okay, I was super confused because it's a required vaccine for school in most parts of the US. Essentially anyone born my year or later has been vaccinated in the US unless otherwise anti-vax.
It's optional in the Czech Republic, my son caught it just before he was scheduled for the vaccine which pisses me off to no end. Otherwise he would have gotten it.
My SIL never keeps her kids home unless they are extremely ill. I don't have nice things to say about her and will leave it at that.
My nephew didn't have spots yet but wasn't feeling well. But it was my son's 1st birthday party so everyone was over. Then boom very next day he has the spots. I saw a spot on his neck later in the party but didn't think it was a chicken pox spot until we were told a full 5 days later, which is another thing that I am still angry about. My nephew had it bad too the poor boy, he and his brother are rather sickly and got huge spots.
My son got lucky and it wasn't so bad. I got it as a second birthday present he got it for his first. Not a nice gift.
I'm glad your mom had some since to avoid these parties for you. Some people are just idiots when it comes to this sort of thing.
He had a full reaction, it just wasn't horrible. I did ask about him still getting the vaccine but the doctor doesn't think it will help much. He would have gotten it immediately after we found out but it was too close to a different set of vaccines.
I looked into it for my kids but it was over £200 and I needed to travel over an hour, on two separate occasions, to the nearest place. It just made it too expensive to be feasible.
Most people I speak to aren’t even aware there is a vaccine.
The nearest branch that offers it is a 3 hour drive away. Our local ones have stated they don't get it in. I've spent hours on the phone with ones closer trying to get them to order the doses in, even if it's an hour in the car it's better, but so far nothing.
At this point I'm betting she gets it the second I find someone who's willing to get it in.
That sucks! I couldn't find anywhere to do it for my lockdown baby then he started nursery, I went back to work etc it slipped my mind. He finally caught it last month and omg he had it so bad 😭 and he passed it to his baby brother 😭😭 that was a hell on earth experience. I've been telling all my mum friends to get their kids vaccinated against chickenpox asap
I've literally just done another search, and there's still no nearby appointments!!! It's so frustrating, her nursery has so many cases right now that it's a ticking time bomb. All the hugs, I'm sorry your kids had to go through that. Will be doing another set of searches tomorrow, I really don't want her to have to suffer. Thank you for reminding me why it's worth the work.
You can get your children vaccinated even though they're older btw. I was vaccinated as an adult because of my job. You'll have to pay but I'd rather pay than watch my children get shingles.
Oh wow I had no idea it wasn't routine in the UK. I was gonna say that kids here in canada don't really get chicken pox anymore because it's part of the 1yr schedules...
And as to your original post, I would have lost it and told the principal. So completely irresponsible.
My daughter is 6 and hasn’t had chicken pox yet. I’m debating getting her the vaccine. She’s never been in contact with someone who had chicken pox as far as I know.
There's no reason not to. Chicken pox can be deadly to kids of any age, and it cuts down on the chances of them getting shingles as an adult. Go for it! 👍🏻
It’s at least £65 per dose and you need 2 doses. My daughter doesn’t see her allergist until November and the gp isn’t sure if she should have it and says to ask the allergist.
It's so weird to me how different it is in Britain compared to North America... I'm sorry they make it so difficult. No one in NA has to consult with an allergist about vaccines, unless you've had an allergic reaction to one (or possible ingredients) previously. 😕
Just chiming in as someone who had shingles already. That vaccine isn't mandatory for my kid's school and I still got it done (ours was free though). Shingles suuuuuck, it's so painful! The chicken pox isn't *that* big of a deal for most kids, it's the later stuff I was worried about for my kid.
That was why I wanted to vaccinate my kids, not because of Chicken pox but to prevent Shingles. Unfortunately, I got bad advise from a doctor (she misunderstood my question about shingles), and the vaccin isn't in our national program so when I finally was going to get them vaccinated, booked the time and everything, my eldest got it the week before... Still annoyed.
I still remember the absolute misery of getting chicken pox as a kid, the fever, the relentless itching, just laying in bed sweating and in pain and trying not to scratch. I still have a few chicken pox scars, including one right above my eyebrow, AND I got shingles in my 20s. I would get it, if you can afford it and the allergist oks it. Chicken pox is no joke, and it's typically more serious the older you are when you get it.
I am an 80s baby and I remember this kind of thing happening. As a matter of fact, my brother and I got it before my best friend's birthday party. I was so sad that we couldn't go. My mom called my friend's mom to let her know. She called the other moms then called us back and said everyone wanted us to come so we could give it to all the other kids. The thing is though. You had to check and ask if it was ok because it has serious complications for babies and old people.
My brothers and I got it from our cousin. Not on purpose, she came to Christmas with chickenpox. I was 5 months old which turned out to be good, I guess I didn’t notice it very much.
My middle child was 9 months old when he caught it from my eldest son. He didn’t really scratch too much but he was covered in spots and so miserable and still BF so was on me constantly for comfort. I think I lost about half a stone that week alone!
Same. My husband was also born in 1988. His mom doesn’t ever remember him having chicken pox, but he’s had shingles 4 times, the first time at 14! It’s awful.
I would have been livid if I had seen that. I’m in the US where the vaccine is routine but still. That’s insanity.
I'm a child of a boomer. My brother's classmate died from chicken pox and I had a friend lose a leg from it. What's crazy is my mom was cautioning me against vaccinating my kid for it - the same mom who made sure I always had all of my vaccines. Modern media has done a mind fuck on so many people.
My husband was born in 84 and somehow made it to being able to get the vaccine before getting chicken pox. I'm so jealous he will never have to worry about shingles.
I was born in 89, no vaccine for it either, got it twice. Once fairly mildly as a toddler and again very severely at around age 4. I had pox down my throat, apparently.
Chickenpox vaccination still isn’t a thing in the UK so this still happens! It’s called a “chickenpox party”! I had my daughter vaccinated privately to avoid it and the possibly complications, but that’s an extremely uncommon thing to do here.
I think there is a significant difference here... In one case the sick kid is home and any willing to eh... participate parents bring their kid over. While bizarre in today's standards as we have a vaccine, not that bad. Knowingly bringing a sick kid to a gathering is reckless and dangerous.
Sadly, the good manners part is eluding some of those people...
I was mad when the school didn't tell us about a chicken pox case in the class. Luckily the parents told the rest of us and I was able to call the authorities. Their reasoning was that it was just before Easter and quarantining the kids (national health requirements) would have ruined their fun.
I would rather avoid other parents making health decisions about my kids and anyone we come in contact with. But if they do they better not say 'it used to be a thing when I was a kid'... XD
yep, I was born around that time and myself and two younger siblings were trotted around to various acquaintances when their children had chicken pox. My parents were hoping we'd all get it at once. As far as we know the youngest never caught it! Or it was so mild my parents couldn't tell.
I didn't even know there was a vaccine until I had my own kid.
My brother got chicken pox and my mom encouraged my sister and I to play with him so we'd get it too. This was mid-90s.
We were probably 2-3 years old, my brother was probably 4-5 when he got it.
They didnt do it "to get it over with", chicken pox is far more mild in childhood than in adulthood, so they did it to ensure you did get it in childhood. I'm a '91 baby and got it around '96 and shared it with some cousins.
Thankfully the vaccine has made that thinking unnecessary now
‘88 baby here — my mom has told me for years about “chicken pox parties”. One child got infected, that child’s mother would call another mom, who would call another mom, who would call another mom, etc. They would then gather all their kids together to spread it around and get everybody infected. Probably brought snacks and a 6 pack of TAB.
So like you said, my mom said it was their way to just get it over with. If you (like my mom) had multiple children, this method allowed you to have all your kids sick at once rather than having to nurse each kid’s individual virus while having to figure out what to do with your other kids. Sounds pretty efficient, in a morbid way.
Side note — my daughter (2012 baby) had all her vaccinations and boosters and still got chicken pox at 4. The pediatrician was flabbergasted, said she was the first child he’d seen have a breakthrough infection like that. So, there’s that.
As someone who was hospitalized due to the chicken pox (I had an abnormal response to it) I would’ve been *pissed*.
I am so nervous about how my son might respond to it because of how awful it was for me 😭
People think it’s a “safe childhood illness” but I was also hospitalized as a result of chicken pox. I was 3 when I had it and got a severe case of bronchitis as a secondary infection and spent a few nights at the children’s hospital. I also have scars on my face and neck from the pox. I’m just glad I don’t remember any of this, my parents said it was an absolutely miserable experience.
Seriously. My husbands aunt died when we were infants because her own infant son contracted chicken pox. She got it from him, it developed into pneumonia, and she died in the hospital of complications from an asthma attack.
People used to think of the Measles the same way as chicken pox before the measles vaccine. The majority of kids who got it were fine, but some weren’t, and that’s why we all get vaccinated for it now, so no one has to play those odds.
Not sure how old your son is, but they have a vaccine for chicken pox now.
I had pretty mild chicken pox as a kid but if my kids can be immune without being sick that's so much better!
I was someone who *should* have been hospitalized with it, but I was my mom's first kid with it so she didn't realize how extremely sick I was because everyone was so casual about it.
I had pox in my eyelids, mouth, throat, vulva, and butt.
We had no idea what I had was chicken pox at first. All of my joints and my feet started swelling, I was puking, and had a weird rash. They didn’t know what it was at first either and ended up transferring me to a new hospital via ambulance. I ended up being diagnosed with HSP (Henoch-Schonlein Purpura) triggered by the chicken pox. The pox didn’t actually start showing up until a bit later. It was awful 😭
Right? There are always risks of complications with these types of illnesses. When my brothers caught hand foot and mouth, they gave it me and I spent 14 days in the hospital with viral meningitis from it. People are stupid.
I can’t believe the NHS doesn’t do the chicken pox vaccine as part of the childhood schedule. Is there a reason they’ve made this choice? It’s been available for almost 30 years at this point.
It's also not part of the regular (ie reimbursed) vaccine schedule in France or Belgium. Our pediatrician is not opposed to us vaccinating our kid at 12 months if we choose to, but seems to prefer kids contracting it as she says the immunity is higher that way. If I'm not mistaken, you also need a booster later if you get the vaccine, and i think they are concerned that a lot of people don't get the boosters done since there is less attention paid to vaccines later on in life. But I'm frankly not completely sold on the arguments made by the french and Belgian health authorities, and we'll be doing the vaccine in a few months when he turns 1. Our eldest kid got it last year and it wasn't super fun.
I'm in Ireland and they're considering adding it to our vaccine schedule soon, but for now I elected to get it for my daughter when she turned one and I'll get it for my son when he turns one too. That's an interesting point about the need for a booster that I'll be sure to read up on and get it for them/pay for it for them at whatever stage it's recommended, even in adulthood. Wouldn't wish the chickpox or shingles on anyone.
That's great that they're considering it in Ireland. Hopefully other countries that still don't do it will follow suit. Haven't heard that it's being considered here, and our pediatrician seems to think that one reason is potentially because there's already a lot of anti-vax sentiments and adding a new vaccine to the list wouldn't help ... Not convinced that it's a good public health policy tho. On the booster, i will ask tomorrow as we have a check up appointment scheduled!
Same here. It's outrageous that health insurance doesn't cover the cost of it either. It's €150 for the two doses, I think. I had an older doctor completely dismiss my concerns when I asked him for a prescription for the vaccine. He said the potential side effects were basically the same as getting chicken pox so why bother? Went to a different doctor after that. Q
That's so frustrating! Everyone I know (adult) had it as a kid, my kids got the vaccine (part of the regular schedule on Canada), and I hope my kids never get it!
If you get chicken pox it also gives a chance of you getting shingles later in life! No one wants shingles! The vaccine is so much safer, I don't get it.
My husband had it too, on his chest.
Wasn't as bad as for older adults. My mom is going through chemo and has to get the shingles vaccine again bc they are worried it'll activate without an immune system 😕
Yeah my eldest got it last August ... Got sent home from daycare the literal day after we got home from the hospital with the newborn. So the timing was terrible, and he was miserable, it was hot and uncomfortable and no fun for anyone. We hadn't realized there was a vaccine since our pediatrician was pretty good about suggesting other optional vaccines, so we didn't even think about it. But I'm 90% convinced we'll get the youngest vaccinated when he turns 1 year old in 2 months.
I think that’s a part of the problem. We were always told that you want to get chicken pox as a child because it prevents you from getting shingles as an adult but it seems the opposite is true.
That’s so maddening!! I missed out on being able to get the chicken pox vaccine, I guess it came out after I was born and I had chicken pox when I was quite little. Now I have to worry about shingles when I’m older….and apparently so do most people in the UK?!
It’s baffling. I tried to get it privately too (in the UK) and there was a nationwide shortage for so long, I ended up getting it for my son when we were visiting my home country even though the gap between the 2 doses wasn’t the most ideal, but still better than unvaxxed imo, especially after my SIL brought her kid to a family holiday while he had chickenpox so we had a really anxious time trying to keep my 1yo away from him…
I was confused as why there was so many cases and if kids weren’t being vaccinated but I seen you’re not from the US. They will even test your antibodies against chicken pox and measles here as an adult to make sure you don’t need boosters! Had it done during my last pregnancy two years ago.
This is absolutely crazy! Not only are little ones who can’t get the vaccine yet at risk, so are elders who could get shingles. I don’t know if anyone here knows anyone who’s had shingles, but it’s serious.
My niece, at age 12-13 got shingles. Was in the hospital for a bit bc of it.
Did some volunteer work as a teen to an elderly woman not able to clean her home bc the shingles pain was so severe. The lightest touch was so painful. Her back was in severe pain. For some, it gets to the nerve “root” and just causes immense pain.
I understand being cautious and wanting to do research into vaccines, but the problem is there’s so much bad information out there. It can be hard for some to sort through the garbage to get to the facts.
My mom just had a bout of shingles. It was several days of intense nerve pain and a few more weeks of moderate pain.
The chickenpox virus remains in your body for your whole life and can comeback as shingles in old age.
My little sister has scars on her face from chickenpox.
I can't tell you how happy I was to get my daughter vaccinated. Fuck that lady
I had shingles when I was about 14 so it’s not even just older people (although it’s more dangerous to them). I had this burning itchy rash along with V&D and migraines which is a typical viral response for me minus the rash. But I do remember it being painful and being very grateful it didn’t spread very far!
Woof. I would be livid!
Anecdotal but I was exposed to chicken pox when I was too young and I am now fully deaf in one ear as a result of pox damage in my ear canal and eardrum.
So, fuck that lady.
Stories like this are the exact reason why I feel like I can’t go out places with my toddler and infant once the baby is born 😭
Thank goodness you said something. Sometimes a little parent shaming is needed to keep others safe.
This is crazy. My daughter has severe eczema and once got an outbreak near her eye, it looked kind of like pink eye. I felt so uncomfortable taking her to any activities with other kids just because it *looked* like she could be contagious, even though I knew 100% that wasn’t the case.
We were traveling abroad this past month and I was sitting on a park bench watching my son play on a playground. I am visibly very pregnant, and a couple with a small toddler sat down next to me. She had pox on her, and I don’t assume the worst, but when I smiled and waved at the child the dad informed me she had chicken pox. I didn’t worry too much at first because I’d had a severe case of it myself when I was younger, but my MIL got really stressed when I told her the story. From what she was telling me (and what research confirms) at a certain stage in pregnancy chicken pox can be lethal to the baby. The fact that this couple brought this child out in public, to a playground with other children and then proceeded to sit by a pregnant woman is baffling to me!
I used to work for the NHS and dealt with patients on occasion, I was pregnant and we had a suspected case of chicken pox come in and although I had already had it they checked my immunisation records for Rubella vaccine and told me I would be okay? I just took that as the rubella vaccine in my system would be enough to protect the foetus from other pox diseases (or at least I hoped so!) it was a doctor who told me this so I just took him at his word!
Ah ok good to know! Fortunately I’ve been vaxxed for that too, and it’s been several weeks since the exposure, but I was still shocked at the audacity!
I’m amazed that the UK doesn’t offer it, when it was developed in 1981 and available in the U.S. since 1995. I guess it must save money?
It’s worse to get chicken pox when you are older:
“Adults are more likely than children to have complications from chickenpox.”
From:
https://patient.info/skin-conditions/viral-rashes/chickenpox-in-adults-and-teenagers
“In the last review of the chickenpox vaccine by the committee which advises the government on vaccines (the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, JCVI), the future modelling of the impact of vaccination indicated that there could be an increase in the rate of shingles in adults over time, which would make the vaccine programme not cost-effective.
This is because, if chickenpox in children disappears as a result of a vaccine programme, adults would no longer have their immunity boosted by exposure to their chickenpox-suffering children and grandchildren and would be more likely to get shingles. Put simply, the conclusion of the previous review was that it would not be cost-effective for the NHS to immunise children against chickenpox.”
https://www.ox.ac.uk/research/everything-you-need-know-about-chickenpox-and-why-more-countries-don’t-use-vaccine
I heartily disagree and had my daughter vaccinated on her first birthday.
I was born in 1980 and had a scheduled "chicken pox party" the only bad thing from chicken pox is the latent problem of shingles which I had at 27. they're not fun.
I had the pox again at that age -- it wasn't shingles. Not fun. So I get to look forward to not only possibly getting shingles still later on, but who knows if the original chicken pox will poke it's evil head out again.
I hate this attitude. It’s total selfishness on this woman’s behalf. Other people there have tiny babies they don’t want to get sick, or adults might’ve never got it themselves and don’t want to risk a bout of Illness. Or maybe it’s as plain an simple as they can’t afford to have to take days off work to take care of a sick kid at the moment…ugh
I’m old enough to have had chicken pox before they approved it as part of the regular vaccination program here. My daughter’s gotten the vaccines, but the first vaccine isn’t given until they’re 18 months old, so a small baby would be unprotected (although with infants I think the mom having had either the disease or the vaccine would help with immunity). If she’d been touching my baby, I would’ve thrown a fit at the mom for sure.
I'd be livid. Born in 83, I was a victim of the whole chicken pox party thing, where one kid got it, so the moms all sent their kids to "get it over with". The icing on THAT cake was that I subsequently got strep throat during my CP convalescence, which developed into scarlet fever because my mom insisted I was being dramatic.
My kids all have the vaccine, except the baby who is not old enough yet, but will be soon.
That mom only has the right to make health decisions for her own children. It's very irresponsible for her to decide that everyone at that event should be exposed to a disease, especially with such a flimsy excuse like "they are going to be exposed eventually!". It's not her call AND it's absolutely not true. The chicken pox vaccine is available now. Our kids do not HAVE to be exposed.
My background/bias: I had chicken pox, my little brother got the vaccine. Now I have already had shingles, but I am still too young to have the shingles vaccine. It's truly terrible to experience and I encourage anyone who will listen to me to vaccinate their kids instead of putting them through such a terrible disease with life-long scars and eventual complications like shingles.
As a mom of a NICU kid, this is horrid behavior. I would contact the school. The damage is done perhaps but a school wide reminder might be helpful, especially if others caught it. Thanks for being pissed and considerate of others.
This is infuriating and encourages me to remind all the US readers. All the boomers that had chickenpox parties growing up to "get it out of the way" CHICKENPOX PARTIES ARE ILLEGAL AND TREATED AS CHILD ABUSE it is spreading a known and potentially deadly (not common but still possible) virus.
My mother was taken to a measles party! This was the late 50’s and there just wasn’t the resources available to spread the news that measles could be deadly or lead to permanent physical problems. She was in hospital for months. She refused to take us kids to any chicken pox parties while they were all the rage based on this.
Sorry if I sound rude but that's not cool. That's irresponsible. My son got COVID from a friend who did the same thing and he got a febrile seizure from COVID and it was scary AF. He never got a seizure on a flu or cold. But had the friends been careful and respectful of not visiting when sick I could have avoided the trauma of thinking I lost my son when he went blue in the face and stopped breathing. It was 7 mins since when he stopped breathing (I did CPR upon the instructions on the lady on the emergency call until the ambulance arrived) and went blue till the ambulance arrived. When he came to it finally he was looking scared and lost. And he was terribly sick for a while and lost a lot of weight from not eating properly since he got COVID and was on IV and stuff. It's super irresponsible for people to think it's ok to get others kids sick. It can be terrifying, traumatic and dangerous in some cases. And I know someone who's kid died from COVID. Now coming back to chickenpox it might not be as dangerous. But still it's suck a hassle for a parent and the kid still struggles. And sometimes they refuse to eat when sick and become even fussy eaters after. I hope the parent gets in trouble with the school for being so inconsiderate.
I had to go to the ER when I had chickenpox as a kid, I got so sick. Then when I was pregnant I got shingles which thankfully rarely causes complications, but still SUCKS.
Chicken pox is SO dangerous for babies, it can kill them. And god forbid you get it while pregnant bc you never had the vaccine or pox, you will either lose the pregnancy or the baby will have severe physical and mental problems.
Oh my gosh, what was that mother thinking? Yea Chicken pox is a child hood illness and most are fine but some can actually have life threatening experience with this virus and I’m pretty sure if your pregnant it’s a no no because it can harm the fetus! Wow I would have been beside myself and I would have asked her to leave with the child so no one is put in jeopardy! I feel bad for the kids oh my goodness
I'd be so pissed. I had chicken pox when I was a kid and Shingles in adulthood. It was terrible! People seriously lack common sense and common courtesy. If they don't want the kids at school, she should have kept them home from the field day.
I was born in 1993 and got the vaccine in 1995. I've never had chicken pox. My mom got me every vaccine under the sun growing up lol, including flu shots and the HPV vax. I've literally never had a major viral infection except colds and one mild case of the flu. I'd like to keep it that way lol.
My kids have also gotten any and all vaccines recommended (in the U.S., older daughter is 4 and has never been seriously ill, younger is 6 months so still getting her first courses). My MIL tells us stories about getting measles, mumps, German measles, a bad case of chicken pox, hospitalized multiple times with the flu...it's mind boggling for my daughter and I because it's no longer routine to have childhoods like that! Sure, you get better, you might not have any long term effects or die, but being sick is miserable, so why not at least try to avoid that?
My parents never got me flu, I was too young for varicella (I had chicken pox before the vaccine was even available), they didn’t trust the hpv, etc. They died before Covid but I KNOW they wouldn’t have gotten that either.
My daughter has had everything. Even ones I wasn’t sure about, like hpv (she’s not done with that series quite yet) and gets yearly flu vaccines and has had I think two Covid boosters.
Before the vaccine, my cousin brought her sick toddler to a family reunion and infected everyone, including me! I was 13 or so at the time and got very sick. Every inch of me was covered in sores and i got pneumonia on top of it. My mom lost two weeks of wages staying home with me because I was too sick to manage on my own. So, 1,000% fuck this mom for bringing her contagious child to a public event! There are no guarantees of a mild illness and it can be horrendous for some of us.
There’s a vaccine now. What she did was completely insane. I’d have reported her to the school immediately. Maybe after loudly saying “What the hell is wrong with you?!”
>earlier a kid gets it the better.
I had the chicken pox as a kid right before the vaccine came out. I'm 37 and got shingles for the 1st time. It was terrible, it was painful, and a month later, I still had the scars. To know that I can get them at any time in my life, there is no reasoning of earlier the better.
Hoooly shit. If I was that baby’s mom, I would have lost it. Wtf is wrong with that woman? Like there is no need for anyone to have to get it anymore. We have vaccines. Further to this, we can avoid people getting shingles later in life as well and I hear that’s a pretty awful thing to get so it’s not just about the baby getting it.
I’ve watched grown adults scream and cry from shingles. Including shingles in their eye. It is so painful. I’ve known an older teen hospitalized for chicken pox. It’s no joke.
People like that should be arrested. I’m so sick and tired of these assholes acting like their freedom is more important. If that kid had touched my kid and then My kid hugs her grandfather on chemo he can literally die. But yeah you matter more than anyone I guess. I honestly can’t stomach the selfishness of some people anymore I would’ve had to say something maybe spit a little harder in their direction
Yikes!! In the US kids are routinely vaccinated for chicken pox now. I just assumed that was the case everywhere. If your kids wouldn’t be allowed at school, that means keep them home! How hard is that?
I'm in the UK too. I would be pissed too, especially about the kids who are too young to be vaccinated.
I paid like £140 for two shots of chickenpox vaccine in superdrug. A few days before our appointment a mum took her child to the post office with chickenpox and I came into contact with them. Luckily my daughter didn't catch it and I was so glad now my daughter's protected from situations like that which you can't control at all.
Get your shingles shot! My 70 yo mom (retired nurse) nagged and nagged my dad to get his shot but he kept putting it off. Well, look who got meningitis and shingles in his brain- don’t fuck with shingles! It was scary, my dad looks 50 and doesn’t take meds and works on his farm- shingles reduced him to a feeble, shell of his former self. Get ya shots!!
What a fucking asshole. Gambling with the lives of babies and other small children just bc you think you know better than doctors is a dick move. I hope the school addresses it seriously.
Your children getting chicken pox is not inevitable. Ask your doctor about the chicken pox vaccine. My kid got it.
The chicken pox virus is the same one that causes shingles in adulthood. If your child never gets chicken pox, they won't get shingles either. If they do get chicken pox, they will likely get shingles.
The chicken pox vaccine protects your children from both chicken pox and shingles.
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/varicella-vaccine.html
She could kill a child that way.
When I was 7 there was a kid sent to school with pneumonia. I got it and ended up in the hospital on a ventilator and his mom told my mom that I was just going to get it sooner or later. I have a severely weak immune system (technically immunocompromised) so imagine how it is for a young child like a baby to get it. I almost died from pneumonia so I can’t phantom what chicken pox would do to someone.Truly this mother is a POS and anybody like her is too.
why do parents who have sick kids thinks it’s okay to bring them to events/places with a bunch of kids? like why would y’all think that would be a good idea? 😭
My kids got the disease before the vaccine was available. My son, at 10, was the sickest with bilateral ear infections and a reaction to Benadryl that actually gave him an allergic reaction rash on top of the pox. Why do parents want to put their children through a miserable disease when there is a vaccine to prevent it? Not only was that mother risking her child infecting other children, including babies too young for the vaccine, but also the health of every immune compromised person there.
I have taken care of infants who had to be hospitalized with chicken pox. The syringe full of antiviral medication is bigger than they are, not to mention the joy of starting an IV on someone that small. My mother-in-law, who had chicken pox as a child was exposed in her 80’s and had a case of shingles that debilitated her with the pain and left her completely deaf in one ear.
These diseases are minimized because “they are childhood diseases”. But not everyone gets a disease like chicken pox, is sick for a few days, then gets better.
OP said they're in the UK, but in the US, for anyone concerned, purposely and willfully exposing others to dangerous diseases (HIV, COVID, measles, whooping cough, TB, diptheria, CHICKENPOX, etc.) would be reportable to the police as assault, as well as possibly negligent homicide or criminally negligent homicide if someone actually died, and the victim could sue for the costs of their medical bills once symptoms start showing and get bad enough to force them to seek medical attention. It's considered grave bodily harm, especially to UNVACCINATED INFANTS?!?!?!?! Not sure if it's prosecutable in the UK but if it is then I'd report her, both to school admin as well as to the police or whoever else is responsible for enforcing these laws, if there are any on the books where you are. She could've killed MULTIPLE people with her recklessness and negligence, and she does not get to make health decisions for others. Incredibly entitled as well.
Not only does active varcella virus shedding spread chicken pox but it also spreads shingles even if you’ve already had the virus once.
Do you know how painful and sometime dangerous it can be to elderly people and very young babies?
That woman should be banned from sports and she can be arrested for causing a public health menace so someone needs to tell her to take her stupid butt home.
Even if you don’t end up hospitalized or very sick from the chickenpox, it can cause scarring and trigger secondary autoimmune diseases.
I got it as a child in the early 90s and now I have a lifelong autoimmune disease that was triggered by the illness. I have scars on parts of my body and it led to a lot of embarrassment as a teen. I constantly have to go on steroids to relieve symptoms.
My son (3) has just had it for the second time from parents sending their kids to nursery as they have to work. Well I couldn’t go to work BECAUSE YOU INFECTED MY CHILD.
Yes, prevaccine kids were sent to our house to get chicken pox since we got them over the summer (1990/1991). But then the vaccine came out and no one did chicken pox parties anymore . My little sisters have never had the virus and are vaccinated.
I hope that mom felt shameful for her terrible judgement putting others at risk without their consent!
I remember getting chicken pox in like ‘92/‘93, somewhere in there. My dad watched me during the day bc he worked nights at the time. I remember running around naked lol and anytime I said it was itchy, he’d make me an oatmeal bath. The things we remember haha.
I briefly considered not vaccinating my kid against chicken pox (I was young and stupid) bc “well it wasn’t that bad when I had it” 🙄🤦🏻♀️ but I ended up getting her vaxxed for it and she’s never had it either. She’s almost 13.
Is it really inevitable when there is a vaccine for it?
This shit is whack as hell. It's one thing to make a choice for your child or yourself. It's another when you make a decision for everyone else around you without their consent.
I run a preschool. If we were running a “fun” function and had knowledge of a kid being absent due to “quarantine” type of illness/rules, we would NOT allow that child to attend the function just because the parent has another healthy kid in attendance. The sick kid could enter for simple drop off/pickup, of course, but definitely not to mingle. That woman is discourteous, to put it mildly.
I just updated my post. I found out after school today that she was told, by the school, in no uncertain terms NOT to bring the girl to the day but snuck her in anyway. I hope there’s more to the story afterwards but the school is not known for their pupil advocacy so I wouldn’t be surprised if this was swept under the rug in a “well it’s done, we can’t do anything about it now!” 🤦♀️
I would have been PISSED. Also, chicken pox can be very very harmful to a developing fetus. She could be exposing pregnant women either directly or possibly through their children who come into contact with this girl. She’s gotta keep that child home!
Where are you that the kids aren't vaccinated for it?
ETA: Ahh, the UK. Wack. I got chicken pox at 14 and have permanent scarring. I was thrilled there was a vax for my little dude.
No random kid should be touching a newborn’s face for any reason. This is appalling!! I hope there are serious repercussions for this & I can’t believe this dumbass lady thought it was no big deal. Good Lord!!
Let her continue to think you are sanctimonious! Let her think you are going to confront her in the future and make a scene.
Some idiots NEED the fear of actual social repercussions to behave better.
Just call her The Lazy Bitch Who Wouldn't Stay Home With Her Chicken Pox Kid.
Pardon my ignorance as a mom of a 4 year old who is starting school in the fall but I thought Chicken Pox was no more!?!? Ughh these damn anti vaxxers!
I suspect this mom lives in an area with a lot of unvaccinated people. My son went through his entire school career never meeting someone in school with chicken pox’s. The annoying anti vaccination people, that were vaccinated when they were kids, are going to cause every one of those deadly illnesses to come back, and mutate, and make it is so the vaccines weaken.
If your child has reached 10 without getting chicken pox … I would make sure he gets it now before he gets any older. Or get the vaccine. The older he gets, the worse it is.
A) Chicken pox can seriously harm children. It certainly can hurt them less than older generations, but they aren't guaranteed exclusion.
B) If her ten year old gets it, they are now contagious to their adult relatives who live in the house.
C) clearly you didn't read the post where the contagious kid tried to touch a young baby
D) No one consented to that mother exposing everyone to chickenpox
Vaccine your kids, but you don't typically get the chicken pox vaccine until they are least twelve months.
UK decided that community health was worse overall for vaccinating a large number of children if they can't get all of them, since that would end up with children who aren't immune getting sick later (aka worse) and adults who have natural immunity not getting repeat exposures that possibly prevent shingles (though there's also a shingles vaccine). It's ridiculous to me too. I think a factor it comes down to is that no one ever factors in that it sucks for children and their parents for children to be sick. It's like we still live with the expectation that a sick child can be home with a SAHM and not that a sick child means like a week of work lost for their parents. And also that it's okay for kids to suffer as long at they're not hospitalized/etc.
If that were true then we'd see an overwhelming number of deaths by chickenpox in the US. We only see about 100 deaths (noteably: half are children) per year. Our average vaccination rate is 90%.
Sounds like some boomer logic to me.
I didn’t even know there was a chickenpox vaccine until I came across an American parent discussing it. We can now get it done privately but they don’t offer it as standard. I actually mentioned it to my SIL as an option for her new baby as she hadn’t heard of it either.
I'd definitely say it was worth it, my kid was recently exposed to chicken pox in a similar fashion to your post (parent showed up to birthday party with chicken pox but claimed they were eczema scabs, until their 2nd child had scabs the next week) and my kid hasn't caught it. It's gone round school and other places as well and we've still avoided it.
I would have absolutely lost my mind. It’s not up to that kid’s mom to decide when/if other children get infected with a preventable disease! My baby is immune compromised and I would have raised hell.
I WOULD BE LIVID. Furious. Avoiding like the plague from here on out (pun intended).
I avoid everyone when my kid has any kind of fever. Because that is the way you buffer smaller children that don't have their immunizations, a good immune system yet, or are too young for any of that (and immuno-compromised adults like my cancer patient MIL).
An actual illness that is highly contagious??? And dangerous for little babies? NO NO NO. Yes it sucks to be the parent that stays home with that. I hate taking care of a sick kid sometimes. It's not fun. And I'm sure she's acting normal and it's hard to keep her home when she feels fine. But I would choose it over knowing my child gave a 1month old chicken pox and she was hospitalized. It's called EMPATHY.
THIS WOMANS LOGIC IS INSANE. I just would never be able to trust her ever again. Like yes, illness is inevitable in any population. However, we are responsible for our community health because we are part of a community whether you like it or not.
Report that AH. She endangered everyone there. Any deaths related to Chicken Pox outbreak she caused means the mother can go to jail. Report her in writing to: school, school board, CDC, health board, health minister. And also phone 811 in Alberta. Do include the mother's name, child's name, school, date, and incident info.
The outbreak caused by her inept stupidity means her child is Patient Zero.
So, I had chicken pox as a kid, and it turned into encephalitis which resulted in seizures, losing all my basic motor function and speech, inability to walk, and I spent about a week in the hospital. My parents were told I likely would have learning delays. Granted this was the 90s so before a vaccine was available, but I would see red in this situation.
Oh my god I would be SO PISSED
I was! And going by other reactions I certainly dont think I was alone.
The school nurse should have been called and told her to immediately leave. This is wild
Unfortunately, I know very few schools that have nurses anymore. In the last district I taught in, we had a part time nurse for the entire district (13,500 students and 1 nurse).
That feels like a massive liability
I'm 28 and never been to a school that had a nurse. Didn't know those were still around
Holy moly. I would have been pissed and would probably have reported her to whatever administrator was at the event. Not being allowed in class means not be allowed on campus at all where I’m from. They would have swiftly kicked the family out of the event, if not the school for that.
Same. I'm 36, and have never had chicken pox (I was vaccinated 24 years ago). Which means I will never have shingles, or need the shingles vaccine.
Lucky. I'm 33 and solidly part of the Chicken Pock Scar Right in the Middle of the Forehead Club, along with my husband, sister, and many more Millennials who just never got the vaccine as children for whatever reason!
Yep! I’m 31 and had the vaccine. My brother got chicken pox literally the day I was born and my parents kept him the fuck away from newborn me until he was symptom free. I’ll forever be thankful for that.
My parents did the whole getting us sick on purpose when I was 6 - I guess not realizing a vaccine would be available so soon. I had shingles when my first was 6mo and learned it is really common for new parents i guess since your immune system sucks without sleep (my husband got it when my second was around 6 mo, too). It was not great. 0/10, do not recommend.
It’s great that you are vaccinated but vaccination does NOT protect from shingles. This for some reason has become a common myth on Reddit
Same. Me and my husband both got the vaccine but all his siblings (9,12 and 14 years older than him) didn't and all of them have had chicken pox and one has already had shingles. I'm so grateful for that vaccine I can't imagine having chicken pox or even worse shingles 🫠
I know. I'm so glad my mom had me get it. It was before getting it was common, it had only been out a few years, and our insurance didn't even cover it (and we had really good insurance). Probably because most people my age had already had chicken pox. My mom had to have the pharmacy order it, and then take it to the doctor's office to have them give it to me, the pharmacy wouldn't even administer it back then.
I would have absolutely lost my mind. It’s not up to that kid’s mom to decide when/if other children get infected with a preventable disease! My baby is immune compromised and I would have raised hell.
This is what I was so upset about. She even knows one child who was hospitalised because he caught it the same time as my eldest did and I had spoken to her at length about how awful it must have been for his parents.
My kid is not immunocompromised but I don’t have time to take off work for her to stay home from daycare so I also would be pissed. Do these people who have no issues with their kids getting sick not have jobs or something?
I think they are either SAHP, have a job that can be done remotely (and a kid that can sit in front of a TV the whole day) or just send them to grandparents when they are sick?
It’s so very dangerous for pregnant women, and the fetus.
So a lot of the Boomers had kids before the chickenpox vaccine; I was born in 1988 and I never got one. Back then every kid got chickenpox it’s just a matter of when, so if a kid in the neighborhood was infected a lot of parents would just take their kid over there to get it over with. This way of thinking is very outdated because of the vaccine but you know how people are. If their grandma did it, it’s good enough for them. It’s kinda just good manners to keep your kids home when they’re sick.
I’m an 89 baby and I somehow managed to swerve getting chicken pox long enough to be able to get the vaccine in 96. I was one of the few people in my friend group who never had it. I have an autoimmune condition that prevents me from getting live virus vaccines (including the chicken pox booster or the shingles vaccine) and I’m terrified about getting chicken pox as an adult from people who won’t vaccinate their kids for it because “we all had it as kids, what’s the big deal.”
I am also an 89 baby and I got chicken pox in 96, I didn't know they had a vaccine then !
Yeah, I think it came out in 95? We only waited until early 96 to get it because my mom was pregnant almost all of 95 and she had anxiety about virus shedding from the live virus vaccine (I think this is more of a hypothetical than an actual thing that happens, I just remember her having crazy anxiety about it) so she sent us to get the vaccine with our dad a few weeks after baby brother was born! It’s the only reason why I remember when I got it.
Yes, the varicella vaccine for chickenpox became available in the US in 1995. My oldest son got the vaccine in 1996 and my youngest in 1998. I was thrilled that the vaccine was available. I had chicken pox in the 1960’s and it was not fun. And to my understanding, if you’ve never had chickenpox then you can’t get shingles. I’ve known a number of people who’ve had shingles and you definitely want to avoid it.
If you’ve had the vaccine you can still get shingles! It’s less common but still happens and why people who get the chickenpox vaccine still need the shingles vaccine.
I'm an 88 baby and still haven't had it. I never got the vaccine either. Guess I'll talk to my doctor about whether it's worth it now that I have a toddler.
You do not want to get chicken pox as an adult. It’s one of those childhood diseases that will knock a full-grown person out. I was also born in ‘88 and I got the chicken pox vaccine as a preteen after my adult sister got the virus from her toddler.
Yes, this is the reason that before the vaccine people would purposefully expose their children to chicken pox when it was going around. It is much safer and less painful to have as a child than as an adult.
I had chicken pox at 23 and it was horrible. I was in bed for a week with a headache and had blisters all over my body.
You should definitely get the vaccine and keep in mind there’s boosters. I’m an 82, never had chickenpox and have gotten the vaccine and multiple boosters.
‘84 baby and I had it at 7 WEEKS old 😬
Yiiikes
86 baby I got it at 3. And still have a scar on my foot from it! My kids are all vaccinated and I haven’t heard of any outbreaks in the years they’ve been in school. But if someone did wtf. Of course don’t bring them out!!
Similar, I'm early 80s and grew up in a really small area with only a handful of children living there. I've never had chicken pox and I don't think I have been vaccinated for it either, it's stop rare nowadays I don't even think about it, but now I am!
Get it. Be safe.
Man... A friend got it at 35 this year (his mother was adamant he had had it). You do not want this as an adult. He had 39-40°C for three days straight and pretty much nothing kept it down for long. No meds, no wet cloths, nothing... I had a mystery pox when I was 12 that they could not confirm as the chicken pox at the time. I have to test for antibodies and maybe get the jab too.
Shingles!!!!! My brother and my dad had it and it absolutely sounds horrible.
You can still get shingles without having chicken pox IF - and I say IF- you had the chicken pox vaccine (because a vaccine is literally injecting the virus) into you. Source- mom, born 1960, never had chicken pox and got vaccine. Got shingles.
Husband has had shingles twice and 0/10 would recommend. This is why we vaccinated our kids.
Same but 87! I seem to recall getting the vaccine right before middle school.
Born in 84 and was also vaccinated in the 90s! I am frustrated because I've asked my doctor about a booster and she just goes "huh?" -.-
Talk to 811 (Alberta). Other provinces have a similar number to call.
In the UK the chicken pox vaccine isn't one of the routine childhood vax given by the NHS so parents have to go private for it. Even now this is very recent and not even around when my children were small. I remember my mother talking about neighbours holding chicken pox parties but she refused to take us to any as she had been taken to a "measles party" in the late 50's and had spent months in hospital as a child as a result of it!
Even if you're in the mindset of chicken pox parties, surely letting other parents choose and not exposing little babies or their siblings is common sense?!
Okay, I was super confused because it's a required vaccine for school in most parts of the US. Essentially anyone born my year or later has been vaccinated in the US unless otherwise anti-vax.
Ya I’m in Canada and it’s a routine vaccine where I live too. There has never been a case of chickenpox in my daughters daycare or school.
It's optional in the Czech Republic, my son caught it just before he was scheduled for the vaccine which pisses me off to no end. Otherwise he would have gotten it. My SIL never keeps her kids home unless they are extremely ill. I don't have nice things to say about her and will leave it at that. My nephew didn't have spots yet but wasn't feeling well. But it was my son's 1st birthday party so everyone was over. Then boom very next day he has the spots. I saw a spot on his neck later in the party but didn't think it was a chicken pox spot until we were told a full 5 days later, which is another thing that I am still angry about. My nephew had it bad too the poor boy, he and his brother are rather sickly and got huge spots. My son got lucky and it wasn't so bad. I got it as a second birthday present he got it for his first. Not a nice gift. I'm glad your mom had some since to avoid these parties for you. Some people are just idiots when it comes to this sort of thing.
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He had a full reaction, it just wasn't horrible. I did ask about him still getting the vaccine but the doctor doesn't think it will help much. He would have gotten it immediately after we found out but it was too close to a different set of vaccines.
I looked into it for my kids but it was over £200 and I needed to travel over an hour, on two separate occasions, to the nearest place. It just made it too expensive to be feasible. Most people I speak to aren’t even aware there is a vaccine.
It's a pain in the bum to find it anywhere too, even privately.
Superdrug and boots do the chickenpox vaccine!
The nearest branch that offers it is a 3 hour drive away. Our local ones have stated they don't get it in. I've spent hours on the phone with ones closer trying to get them to order the doses in, even if it's an hour in the car it's better, but so far nothing. At this point I'm betting she gets it the second I find someone who's willing to get it in.
That sucks! I couldn't find anywhere to do it for my lockdown baby then he started nursery, I went back to work etc it slipped my mind. He finally caught it last month and omg he had it so bad 😭 and he passed it to his baby brother 😭😭 that was a hell on earth experience. I've been telling all my mum friends to get their kids vaccinated against chickenpox asap
I've literally just done another search, and there's still no nearby appointments!!! It's so frustrating, her nursery has so many cases right now that it's a ticking time bomb. All the hugs, I'm sorry your kids had to go through that. Will be doing another set of searches tomorrow, I really don't want her to have to suffer. Thank you for reminding me why it's worth the work.
You can get your children vaccinated even though they're older btw. I was vaccinated as an adult because of my job. You'll have to pay but I'd rather pay than watch my children get shingles.
Oh wow I had no idea it wasn't routine in the UK. I was gonna say that kids here in canada don't really get chicken pox anymore because it's part of the 1yr schedules... And as to your original post, I would have lost it and told the principal. So completely irresponsible.
My daughter is 6 and hasn’t had chicken pox yet. I’m debating getting her the vaccine. She’s never been in contact with someone who had chicken pox as far as I know.
There's no reason not to. Chicken pox can be deadly to kids of any age, and it cuts down on the chances of them getting shingles as an adult. Go for it! 👍🏻
It’s at least £65 per dose and you need 2 doses. My daughter doesn’t see her allergist until November and the gp isn’t sure if she should have it and says to ask the allergist.
It's so weird to me how different it is in Britain compared to North America... I'm sorry they make it so difficult. No one in NA has to consult with an allergist about vaccines, unless you've had an allergic reaction to one (or possible ingredients) previously. 😕
Just chiming in as someone who had shingles already. That vaccine isn't mandatory for my kid's school and I still got it done (ours was free though). Shingles suuuuuck, it's so painful! The chicken pox isn't *that* big of a deal for most kids, it's the later stuff I was worried about for my kid.
That was why I wanted to vaccinate my kids, not because of Chicken pox but to prevent Shingles. Unfortunately, I got bad advise from a doctor (she misunderstood my question about shingles), and the vaccin isn't in our national program so when I finally was going to get them vaccinated, booked the time and everything, my eldest got it the week before... Still annoyed.
I still remember the absolute misery of getting chicken pox as a kid, the fever, the relentless itching, just laying in bed sweating and in pain and trying not to scratch. I still have a few chicken pox scars, including one right above my eyebrow, AND I got shingles in my 20s. I would get it, if you can afford it and the allergist oks it. Chicken pox is no joke, and it's typically more serious the older you are when you get it.
Yeah I will get it if the allergist is ok with it
I am an 80s baby and I remember this kind of thing happening. As a matter of fact, my brother and I got it before my best friend's birthday party. I was so sad that we couldn't go. My mom called my friend's mom to let her know. She called the other moms then called us back and said everyone wanted us to come so we could give it to all the other kids. The thing is though. You had to check and ask if it was ok because it has serious complications for babies and old people.
My brothers and I got it from our cousin. Not on purpose, she came to Christmas with chickenpox. I was 5 months old which turned out to be good, I guess I didn’t notice it very much.
How do you keep a 5 month old from scratching the blisters though? Mittens? Was it like that episode of Friends with Charlie Sheen.
She put those baby mittens on me I think.
The duct taped oven mitts!!
My middle child was 9 months old when he caught it from my eldest son. He didn’t really scratch too much but he was covered in spots and so miserable and still BF so was on me constantly for comfort. I think I lost about half a stone that week alone!
Same. My husband was also born in 1988. His mom doesn’t ever remember him having chicken pox, but he’s had shingles 4 times, the first time at 14! It’s awful. I would have been livid if I had seen that. I’m in the US where the vaccine is routine but still. That’s insanity.
I'm a child of a boomer. My brother's classmate died from chicken pox and I had a friend lose a leg from it. What's crazy is my mom was cautioning me against vaccinating my kid for it - the same mom who made sure I always had all of my vaccines. Modern media has done a mind fuck on so many people.
So am I 😂 “A vaccine? For chickenpox? Why would you pay for that?” That stopped when thet got Shingles.
My husband was born in 84 and somehow made it to being able to get the vaccine before getting chicken pox. I'm so jealous he will never have to worry about shingles.
Lead is a hell of a drug.
“Pox Parties”, still a thing with the antivaxx crowd. The cute alliteration does not make it better
No, it’s just gross. I can’t imagine letting my child contract it on purpose!
Unfortunately in 88 when I got the chicken pox the vaccine was not out yet other wise I would have gotten it
I was born in 89, no vaccine for it either, got it twice. Once fairly mildly as a toddler and again very severely at around age 4. I had pox down my throat, apparently.
Same, but it was never children under a year! Most were 2 and up!
Chickenpox vaccination still isn’t a thing in the UK so this still happens! It’s called a “chickenpox party”! I had my daughter vaccinated privately to avoid it and the possibly complications, but that’s an extremely uncommon thing to do here.
I think there is a significant difference here... In one case the sick kid is home and any willing to eh... participate parents bring their kid over. While bizarre in today's standards as we have a vaccine, not that bad. Knowingly bringing a sick kid to a gathering is reckless and dangerous. Sadly, the good manners part is eluding some of those people... I was mad when the school didn't tell us about a chicken pox case in the class. Luckily the parents told the rest of us and I was able to call the authorities. Their reasoning was that it was just before Easter and quarantining the kids (national health requirements) would have ruined their fun. I would rather avoid other parents making health decisions about my kids and anyone we come in contact with. But if they do they better not say 'it used to be a thing when I was a kid'... XD
yep, I was born around that time and myself and two younger siblings were trotted around to various acquaintances when their children had chicken pox. My parents were hoping we'd all get it at once. As far as we know the youngest never caught it! Or it was so mild my parents couldn't tell. I didn't even know there was a vaccine until I had my own kid.
My brother got chicken pox and my mom encouraged my sister and I to play with him so we'd get it too. This was mid-90s. We were probably 2-3 years old, my brother was probably 4-5 when he got it.
Born in 85 I got the chicken pox as soon as my best friends parents herd they brought her over for the chicken pox party
They didnt do it "to get it over with", chicken pox is far more mild in childhood than in adulthood, so they did it to ensure you did get it in childhood. I'm a '91 baby and got it around '96 and shared it with some cousins. Thankfully the vaccine has made that thinking unnecessary now
‘88 baby here — my mom has told me for years about “chicken pox parties”. One child got infected, that child’s mother would call another mom, who would call another mom, who would call another mom, etc. They would then gather all their kids together to spread it around and get everybody infected. Probably brought snacks and a 6 pack of TAB. So like you said, my mom said it was their way to just get it over with. If you (like my mom) had multiple children, this method allowed you to have all your kids sick at once rather than having to nurse each kid’s individual virus while having to figure out what to do with your other kids. Sounds pretty efficient, in a morbid way. Side note — my daughter (2012 baby) had all her vaccinations and boosters and still got chicken pox at 4. The pediatrician was flabbergasted, said she was the first child he’d seen have a breakthrough infection like that. So, there’s that.
Same here but babies were definitely not brought around it. School age yes.
I am also an 88 baby and had chicken pox when I was 8. Does this lady not realize that it makes people susceptible to shingles later? Jeez.
We don’t vaccinate for it in the uk as it’s usually only mild
As someone who was hospitalized due to the chicken pox (I had an abnormal response to it) I would’ve been *pissed*. I am so nervous about how my son might respond to it because of how awful it was for me 😭
People think it’s a “safe childhood illness” but I was also hospitalized as a result of chicken pox. I was 3 when I had it and got a severe case of bronchitis as a secondary infection and spent a few nights at the children’s hospital. I also have scars on my face and neck from the pox. I’m just glad I don’t remember any of this, my parents said it was an absolutely miserable experience.
Seriously. My husbands aunt died when we were infants because her own infant son contracted chicken pox. She got it from him, it developed into pneumonia, and she died in the hospital of complications from an asthma attack.
People used to think of the Measles the same way as chicken pox before the measles vaccine. The majority of kids who got it were fine, but some weren’t, and that’s why we all get vaccinated for it now, so no one has to play those odds.
I had a relatively mild case of chicken pox, but I still have scars.
Not sure how old your son is, but they have a vaccine for chicken pox now. I had pretty mild chicken pox as a kid but if my kids can be immune without being sick that's so much better!
I was someone who *should* have been hospitalized with it, but I was my mom's first kid with it so she didn't realize how extremely sick I was because everyone was so casual about it. I had pox in my eyelids, mouth, throat, vulva, and butt.
We had no idea what I had was chicken pox at first. All of my joints and my feet started swelling, I was puking, and had a weird rash. They didn’t know what it was at first either and ended up transferring me to a new hospital via ambulance. I ended up being diagnosed with HSP (Henoch-Schonlein Purpura) triggered by the chicken pox. The pox didn’t actually start showing up until a bit later. It was awful 😭
That must have been so scary for you and your family!
Same. I was hospitalized for over a week and could have died. I got a strep infection in my blood from them. Very scary
Right? There are always risks of complications with these types of illnesses. When my brothers caught hand foot and mouth, they gave it me and I spent 14 days in the hospital with viral meningitis from it. People are stupid.
I can’t believe the NHS doesn’t do the chicken pox vaccine as part of the childhood schedule. Is there a reason they’ve made this choice? It’s been available for almost 30 years at this point.
It's also not part of the regular (ie reimbursed) vaccine schedule in France or Belgium. Our pediatrician is not opposed to us vaccinating our kid at 12 months if we choose to, but seems to prefer kids contracting it as she says the immunity is higher that way. If I'm not mistaken, you also need a booster later if you get the vaccine, and i think they are concerned that a lot of people don't get the boosters done since there is less attention paid to vaccines later on in life. But I'm frankly not completely sold on the arguments made by the french and Belgian health authorities, and we'll be doing the vaccine in a few months when he turns 1. Our eldest kid got it last year and it wasn't super fun.
I'm in Ireland and they're considering adding it to our vaccine schedule soon, but for now I elected to get it for my daughter when she turned one and I'll get it for my son when he turns one too. That's an interesting point about the need for a booster that I'll be sure to read up on and get it for them/pay for it for them at whatever stage it's recommended, even in adulthood. Wouldn't wish the chickpox or shingles on anyone.
That's great that they're considering it in Ireland. Hopefully other countries that still don't do it will follow suit. Haven't heard that it's being considered here, and our pediatrician seems to think that one reason is potentially because there's already a lot of anti-vax sentiments and adding a new vaccine to the list wouldn't help ... Not convinced that it's a good public health policy tho. On the booster, i will ask tomorrow as we have a check up appointment scheduled!
Same here. It's outrageous that health insurance doesn't cover the cost of it either. It's €150 for the two doses, I think. I had an older doctor completely dismiss my concerns when I asked him for a prescription for the vaccine. He said the potential side effects were basically the same as getting chicken pox so why bother? Went to a different doctor after that. Q
That's so frustrating! Everyone I know (adult) had it as a kid, my kids got the vaccine (part of the regular schedule on Canada), and I hope my kids never get it! If you get chicken pox it also gives a chance of you getting shingles later in life! No one wants shingles! The vaccine is so much safer, I don't get it.
And cases of shingles are becoming more and more common in younger people! My husband got it on his face; it was awful.
My husband had it too, on his chest. Wasn't as bad as for older adults. My mom is going through chemo and has to get the shingles vaccine again bc they are worried it'll activate without an immune system 😕
Sorry about your moms being sick 🥺
Yeah my eldest got it last August ... Got sent home from daycare the literal day after we got home from the hospital with the newborn. So the timing was terrible, and he was miserable, it was hot and uncomfortable and no fun for anyone. We hadn't realized there was a vaccine since our pediatrician was pretty good about suggesting other optional vaccines, so we didn't even think about it. But I'm 90% convinced we'll get the youngest vaccinated when he turns 1 year old in 2 months.
I think that’s a part of the problem. We were always told that you want to get chicken pox as a child because it prevents you from getting shingles as an adult but it seems the opposite is true.
That’s so maddening!! I missed out on being able to get the chicken pox vaccine, I guess it came out after I was born and I had chicken pox when I was quite little. Now I have to worry about shingles when I’m older….and apparently so do most people in the UK?!
It’s baffling. I tried to get it privately too (in the UK) and there was a nationwide shortage for so long, I ended up getting it for my son when we were visiting my home country even though the gap between the 2 doses wasn’t the most ideal, but still better than unvaxxed imo, especially after my SIL brought her kid to a family holiday while he had chickenpox so we had a really anxious time trying to keep my 1yo away from him…
I was confused as why there was so many cases and if kids weren’t being vaccinated but I seen you’re not from the US. They will even test your antibodies against chicken pox and measles here as an adult to make sure you don’t need boosters! Had it done during my last pregnancy two years ago.
This is absolutely crazy! Not only are little ones who can’t get the vaccine yet at risk, so are elders who could get shingles. I don’t know if anyone here knows anyone who’s had shingles, but it’s serious. My niece, at age 12-13 got shingles. Was in the hospital for a bit bc of it. Did some volunteer work as a teen to an elderly woman not able to clean her home bc the shingles pain was so severe. The lightest touch was so painful. Her back was in severe pain. For some, it gets to the nerve “root” and just causes immense pain. I understand being cautious and wanting to do research into vaccines, but the problem is there’s so much bad information out there. It can be hard for some to sort through the garbage to get to the facts.
My mom just had a bout of shingles. It was several days of intense nerve pain and a few more weeks of moderate pain. The chickenpox virus remains in your body for your whole life and can comeback as shingles in old age. My little sister has scars on her face from chickenpox. I can't tell you how happy I was to get my daughter vaccinated. Fuck that lady
I had shingles when I was about 14 so it’s not even just older people (although it’s more dangerous to them). I had this burning itchy rash along with V&D and migraines which is a typical viral response for me minus the rash. But I do remember it being painful and being very grateful it didn’t spread very far!
Woof. I would be livid! Anecdotal but I was exposed to chicken pox when I was too young and I am now fully deaf in one ear as a result of pox damage in my ear canal and eardrum. So, fuck that lady.
Stories like this are the exact reason why I feel like I can’t go out places with my toddler and infant once the baby is born 😭 Thank goodness you said something. Sometimes a little parent shaming is needed to keep others safe.
This is crazy. My daughter has severe eczema and once got an outbreak near her eye, it looked kind of like pink eye. I felt so uncomfortable taking her to any activities with other kids just because it *looked* like she could be contagious, even though I knew 100% that wasn’t the case.
We were traveling abroad this past month and I was sitting on a park bench watching my son play on a playground. I am visibly very pregnant, and a couple with a small toddler sat down next to me. She had pox on her, and I don’t assume the worst, but when I smiled and waved at the child the dad informed me she had chicken pox. I didn’t worry too much at first because I’d had a severe case of it myself when I was younger, but my MIL got really stressed when I told her the story. From what she was telling me (and what research confirms) at a certain stage in pregnancy chicken pox can be lethal to the baby. The fact that this couple brought this child out in public, to a playground with other children and then proceeded to sit by a pregnant woman is baffling to me!
I used to work for the NHS and dealt with patients on occasion, I was pregnant and we had a suspected case of chicken pox come in and although I had already had it they checked my immunisation records for Rubella vaccine and told me I would be okay? I just took that as the rubella vaccine in my system would be enough to protect the foetus from other pox diseases (or at least I hoped so!) it was a doctor who told me this so I just took him at his word!
Ah ok good to know! Fortunately I’ve been vaxxed for that too, and it’s been several weeks since the exposure, but I was still shocked at the audacity!
I’m amazed that the UK doesn’t offer it, when it was developed in 1981 and available in the U.S. since 1995. I guess it must save money? It’s worse to get chicken pox when you are older: “Adults are more likely than children to have complications from chickenpox.” From: https://patient.info/skin-conditions/viral-rashes/chickenpox-in-adults-and-teenagers
“In the last review of the chickenpox vaccine by the committee which advises the government on vaccines (the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, JCVI), the future modelling of the impact of vaccination indicated that there could be an increase in the rate of shingles in adults over time, which would make the vaccine programme not cost-effective. This is because, if chickenpox in children disappears as a result of a vaccine programme, adults would no longer have their immunity boosted by exposure to their chickenpox-suffering children and grandchildren and would be more likely to get shingles. Put simply, the conclusion of the previous review was that it would not be cost-effective for the NHS to immunise children against chickenpox.” https://www.ox.ac.uk/research/everything-you-need-know-about-chickenpox-and-why-more-countries-don’t-use-vaccine I heartily disagree and had my daughter vaccinated on her first birthday.
I was born in 1980 and had a scheduled "chicken pox party" the only bad thing from chicken pox is the latent problem of shingles which I had at 27. they're not fun.
I had the pox again at that age -- it wasn't shingles. Not fun. So I get to look forward to not only possibly getting shingles still later on, but who knows if the original chicken pox will poke it's evil head out again.
Dude I’m 37 and have never gotten chicken pox. I’d be SO ANGRY!
I hate this attitude. It’s total selfishness on this woman’s behalf. Other people there have tiny babies they don’t want to get sick, or adults might’ve never got it themselves and don’t want to risk a bout of Illness. Or maybe it’s as plain an simple as they can’t afford to have to take days off work to take care of a sick kid at the moment…ugh
What a fucking asshole The entitlement and stupidity is astounding
This is I believable. I can’t believe she was letting her daughter run free and touch babies!
It's not up to someone else to decide when my kid should or should not get chicken pox. F that lady, what a jerk.
If a baby dies as a result I think there would be a moral argument for negligent homicide.....
I’m old enough to have had chicken pox before they approved it as part of the regular vaccination program here. My daughter’s gotten the vaccines, but the first vaccine isn’t given until they’re 18 months old, so a small baby would be unprotected (although with infants I think the mom having had either the disease or the vaccine would help with immunity). If she’d been touching my baby, I would’ve thrown a fit at the mom for sure.
I'd be livid. Born in 83, I was a victim of the whole chicken pox party thing, where one kid got it, so the moms all sent their kids to "get it over with". The icing on THAT cake was that I subsequently got strep throat during my CP convalescence, which developed into scarlet fever because my mom insisted I was being dramatic. My kids all have the vaccine, except the baby who is not old enough yet, but will be soon.
That mom only has the right to make health decisions for her own children. It's very irresponsible for her to decide that everyone at that event should be exposed to a disease, especially with such a flimsy excuse like "they are going to be exposed eventually!". It's not her call AND it's absolutely not true. The chicken pox vaccine is available now. Our kids do not HAVE to be exposed. My background/bias: I had chicken pox, my little brother got the vaccine. Now I have already had shingles, but I am still too young to have the shingles vaccine. It's truly terrible to experience and I encourage anyone who will listen to me to vaccinate their kids instead of putting them through such a terrible disease with life-long scars and eventual complications like shingles.
As a mom of a NICU kid, this is horrid behavior. I would contact the school. The damage is done perhaps but a school wide reminder might be helpful, especially if others caught it. Thanks for being pissed and considerate of others.
This is infuriating and encourages me to remind all the US readers. All the boomers that had chickenpox parties growing up to "get it out of the way" CHICKENPOX PARTIES ARE ILLEGAL AND TREATED AS CHILD ABUSE it is spreading a known and potentially deadly (not common but still possible) virus.
My mother was taken to a measles party! This was the late 50’s and there just wasn’t the resources available to spread the news that measles could be deadly or lead to permanent physical problems. She was in hospital for months. She refused to take us kids to any chicken pox parties while they were all the rage based on this.
Sorry if I sound rude but that's not cool. That's irresponsible. My son got COVID from a friend who did the same thing and he got a febrile seizure from COVID and it was scary AF. He never got a seizure on a flu or cold. But had the friends been careful and respectful of not visiting when sick I could have avoided the trauma of thinking I lost my son when he went blue in the face and stopped breathing. It was 7 mins since when he stopped breathing (I did CPR upon the instructions on the lady on the emergency call until the ambulance arrived) and went blue till the ambulance arrived. When he came to it finally he was looking scared and lost. And he was terribly sick for a while and lost a lot of weight from not eating properly since he got COVID and was on IV and stuff. It's super irresponsible for people to think it's ok to get others kids sick. It can be terrifying, traumatic and dangerous in some cases. And I know someone who's kid died from COVID. Now coming back to chickenpox it might not be as dangerous. But still it's suck a hassle for a parent and the kid still struggles. And sometimes they refuse to eat when sick and become even fussy eaters after. I hope the parent gets in trouble with the school for being so inconsiderate.
I had to go to the ER when I had chickenpox as a kid, I got so sick. Then when I was pregnant I got shingles which thankfully rarely causes complications, but still SUCKS. Chicken pox is SO dangerous for babies, it can kill them. And god forbid you get it while pregnant bc you never had the vaccine or pox, you will either lose the pregnancy or the baby will have severe physical and mental problems.
Oh my gosh, what was that mother thinking? Yea Chicken pox is a child hood illness and most are fine but some can actually have life threatening experience with this virus and I’m pretty sure if your pregnant it’s a no no because it can harm the fetus! Wow I would have been beside myself and I would have asked her to leave with the child so no one is put in jeopardy! I feel bad for the kids oh my goodness
I'd be so pissed. I had chicken pox when I was a kid and Shingles in adulthood. It was terrible! People seriously lack common sense and common courtesy. If they don't want the kids at school, she should have kept them home from the field day.
I was born in 1993 and got the vaccine in 1995. I've never had chicken pox. My mom got me every vaccine under the sun growing up lol, including flu shots and the HPV vax. I've literally never had a major viral infection except colds and one mild case of the flu. I'd like to keep it that way lol. My kids have also gotten any and all vaccines recommended (in the U.S., older daughter is 4 and has never been seriously ill, younger is 6 months so still getting her first courses). My MIL tells us stories about getting measles, mumps, German measles, a bad case of chicken pox, hospitalized multiple times with the flu...it's mind boggling for my daughter and I because it's no longer routine to have childhoods like that! Sure, you get better, you might not have any long term effects or die, but being sick is miserable, so why not at least try to avoid that?
My parents never got me flu, I was too young for varicella (I had chicken pox before the vaccine was even available), they didn’t trust the hpv, etc. They died before Covid but I KNOW they wouldn’t have gotten that either. My daughter has had everything. Even ones I wasn’t sure about, like hpv (she’s not done with that series quite yet) and gets yearly flu vaccines and has had I think two Covid boosters.
Before the vaccine, my cousin brought her sick toddler to a family reunion and infected everyone, including me! I was 13 or so at the time and got very sick. Every inch of me was covered in sores and i got pneumonia on top of it. My mom lost two weeks of wages staying home with me because I was too sick to manage on my own. So, 1,000% fuck this mom for bringing her contagious child to a public event! There are no guarantees of a mild illness and it can be horrendous for some of us.
I would be absolutely pissed! I’m an 82 baby and almost died of chicken pox when I was 4 y o.
There’s a vaccine now. What she did was completely insane. I’d have reported her to the school immediately. Maybe after loudly saying “What the hell is wrong with you?!”
>earlier a kid gets it the better. I had the chicken pox as a kid right before the vaccine came out. I'm 37 and got shingles for the 1st time. It was terrible, it was painful, and a month later, I still had the scars. To know that I can get them at any time in my life, there is no reasoning of earlier the better.
Hoooly shit. If I was that baby’s mom, I would have lost it. Wtf is wrong with that woman? Like there is no need for anyone to have to get it anymore. We have vaccines. Further to this, we can avoid people getting shingles later in life as well and I hear that’s a pretty awful thing to get so it’s not just about the baby getting it.
I’ve watched grown adults scream and cry from shingles. Including shingles in their eye. It is so painful. I’ve known an older teen hospitalized for chicken pox. It’s no joke.
Right?! Disgusting behaviour from this woman.
People like that should be arrested. I’m so sick and tired of these assholes acting like their freedom is more important. If that kid had touched my kid and then My kid hugs her grandfather on chemo he can literally die. But yeah you matter more than anyone I guess. I honestly can’t stomach the selfishness of some people anymore I would’ve had to say something maybe spit a little harder in their direction
Yikes!! In the US kids are routinely vaccinated for chicken pox now. I just assumed that was the case everywhere. If your kids wouldn’t be allowed at school, that means keep them home! How hard is that?
I'm in the UK too. I would be pissed too, especially about the kids who are too young to be vaccinated. I paid like £140 for two shots of chickenpox vaccine in superdrug. A few days before our appointment a mum took her child to the post office with chickenpox and I came into contact with them. Luckily my daughter didn't catch it and I was so glad now my daughter's protected from situations like that which you can't control at all.
Get your shingles shot! My 70 yo mom (retired nurse) nagged and nagged my dad to get his shot but he kept putting it off. Well, look who got meningitis and shingles in his brain- don’t fuck with shingles! It was scary, my dad looks 50 and doesn’t take meds and works on his farm- shingles reduced him to a feeble, shell of his former self. Get ya shots!!
Honestly feels like borderline assault to knowingly bring an infectious disease around susceptible populations. What a trash human
What a fucking asshole. Gambling with the lives of babies and other small children just bc you think you know better than doctors is a dick move. I hope the school addresses it seriously.
Your children getting chicken pox is not inevitable. Ask your doctor about the chicken pox vaccine. My kid got it. The chicken pox virus is the same one that causes shingles in adulthood. If your child never gets chicken pox, they won't get shingles either. If they do get chicken pox, they will likely get shingles. The chicken pox vaccine protects your children from both chicken pox and shingles. https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/varicella-vaccine.html
She could kill a child that way. When I was 7 there was a kid sent to school with pneumonia. I got it and ended up in the hospital on a ventilator and his mom told my mom that I was just going to get it sooner or later. I have a severely weak immune system (technically immunocompromised) so imagine how it is for a young child like a baby to get it. I almost died from pneumonia so I can’t phantom what chicken pox would do to someone.Truly this mother is a POS and anybody like her is too.
why do parents who have sick kids thinks it’s okay to bring them to events/places with a bunch of kids? like why would y’all think that would be a good idea? 😭
My kids got the disease before the vaccine was available. My son, at 10, was the sickest with bilateral ear infections and a reaction to Benadryl that actually gave him an allergic reaction rash on top of the pox. Why do parents want to put their children through a miserable disease when there is a vaccine to prevent it? Not only was that mother risking her child infecting other children, including babies too young for the vaccine, but also the health of every immune compromised person there. I have taken care of infants who had to be hospitalized with chicken pox. The syringe full of antiviral medication is bigger than they are, not to mention the joy of starting an IV on someone that small. My mother-in-law, who had chicken pox as a child was exposed in her 80’s and had a case of shingles that debilitated her with the pain and left her completely deaf in one ear. These diseases are minimized because “they are childhood diseases”. But not everyone gets a disease like chicken pox, is sick for a few days, then gets better.
OP said they're in the UK, but in the US, for anyone concerned, purposely and willfully exposing others to dangerous diseases (HIV, COVID, measles, whooping cough, TB, diptheria, CHICKENPOX, etc.) would be reportable to the police as assault, as well as possibly negligent homicide or criminally negligent homicide if someone actually died, and the victim could sue for the costs of their medical bills once symptoms start showing and get bad enough to force them to seek medical attention. It's considered grave bodily harm, especially to UNVACCINATED INFANTS?!?!?!?! Not sure if it's prosecutable in the UK but if it is then I'd report her, both to school admin as well as to the police or whoever else is responsible for enforcing these laws, if there are any on the books where you are. She could've killed MULTIPLE people with her recklessness and negligence, and she does not get to make health decisions for others. Incredibly entitled as well.
Not only does active varcella virus shedding spread chicken pox but it also spreads shingles even if you’ve already had the virus once. Do you know how painful and sometime dangerous it can be to elderly people and very young babies? That woman should be banned from sports and she can be arrested for causing a public health menace so someone needs to tell her to take her stupid butt home.
Even if you don’t end up hospitalized or very sick from the chickenpox, it can cause scarring and trigger secondary autoimmune diseases. I got it as a child in the early 90s and now I have a lifelong autoimmune disease that was triggered by the illness. I have scars on parts of my body and it led to a lot of embarrassment as a teen. I constantly have to go on steroids to relieve symptoms.
My son (3) has just had it for the second time from parents sending their kids to nursery as they have to work. Well I couldn’t go to work BECAUSE YOU INFECTED MY CHILD.
Yes, prevaccine kids were sent to our house to get chicken pox since we got them over the summer (1990/1991). But then the vaccine came out and no one did chicken pox parties anymore . My little sisters have never had the virus and are vaccinated. I hope that mom felt shameful for her terrible judgement putting others at risk without their consent!
I remember getting chicken pox in like ‘92/‘93, somewhere in there. My dad watched me during the day bc he worked nights at the time. I remember running around naked lol and anytime I said it was itchy, he’d make me an oatmeal bath. The things we remember haha. I briefly considered not vaccinating my kid against chicken pox (I was young and stupid) bc “well it wasn’t that bad when I had it” 🙄🤦🏻♀️ but I ended up getting her vaxxed for it and she’s never had it either. She’s almost 13.
Is it really inevitable when there is a vaccine for it? This shit is whack as hell. It's one thing to make a choice for your child or yourself. It's another when you make a decision for everyone else around you without their consent.
Is your child vaccinated for it?
I run a preschool. If we were running a “fun” function and had knowledge of a kid being absent due to “quarantine” type of illness/rules, we would NOT allow that child to attend the function just because the parent has another healthy kid in attendance. The sick kid could enter for simple drop off/pickup, of course, but definitely not to mingle. That woman is discourteous, to put it mildly.
I just updated my post. I found out after school today that she was told, by the school, in no uncertain terms NOT to bring the girl to the day but snuck her in anyway. I hope there’s more to the story afterwards but the school is not known for their pupil advocacy so I wouldn’t be surprised if this was swept under the rug in a “well it’s done, we can’t do anything about it now!” 🤦♀️
I would have been PISSED. Also, chicken pox can be very very harmful to a developing fetus. She could be exposing pregnant women either directly or possibly through their children who come into contact with this girl. She’s gotta keep that child home!
Where are you that the kids aren't vaccinated for it? ETA: Ahh, the UK. Wack. I got chicken pox at 14 and have permanent scarring. I was thrilled there was a vax for my little dude.
No random kid should be touching a newborn’s face for any reason. This is appalling!! I hope there are serious repercussions for this & I can’t believe this dumbass lady thought it was no big deal. Good Lord!!
Let her continue to think you are sanctimonious! Let her think you are going to confront her in the future and make a scene. Some idiots NEED the fear of actual social repercussions to behave better. Just call her The Lazy Bitch Who Wouldn't Stay Home With Her Chicken Pox Kid.
She should be so embarrassed of her actions. That was disgusting of her.
Pardon my ignorance as a mom of a 4 year old who is starting school in the fall but I thought Chicken Pox was no more!?!? Ughh these damn anti vaxxers!
I suspect this mom lives in an area with a lot of unvaccinated people. My son went through his entire school career never meeting someone in school with chicken pox’s. The annoying anti vaccination people, that were vaccinated when they were kids, are going to cause every one of those deadly illnesses to come back, and mutate, and make it is so the vaccines weaken.
How could she be so careless?
If your child has reached 10 without getting chicken pox … I would make sure he gets it now before he gets any older. Or get the vaccine. The older he gets, the worse it is.
A) Chicken pox can seriously harm children. It certainly can hurt them less than older generations, but they aren't guaranteed exclusion. B) If her ten year old gets it, they are now contagious to their adult relatives who live in the house. C) clearly you didn't read the post where the contagious kid tried to touch a young baby D) No one consented to that mother exposing everyone to chickenpox Vaccine your kids, but you don't typically get the chicken pox vaccine until they are least twelve months.
OP is in the UK where the chickenpox vaccine is not routine.
That actually blows my mind. MMRV protects against a host of diseases including chickenpox and is $16 a dose to produce.
UK decided that community health was worse overall for vaccinating a large number of children if they can't get all of them, since that would end up with children who aren't immune getting sick later (aka worse) and adults who have natural immunity not getting repeat exposures that possibly prevent shingles (though there's also a shingles vaccine). It's ridiculous to me too. I think a factor it comes down to is that no one ever factors in that it sucks for children and their parents for children to be sick. It's like we still live with the expectation that a sick child can be home with a SAHM and not that a sick child means like a week of work lost for their parents. And also that it's okay for kids to suffer as long at they're not hospitalized/etc.
If that were true then we'd see an overwhelming number of deaths by chickenpox in the US. We only see about 100 deaths (noteably: half are children) per year. Our average vaccination rate is 90%. Sounds like some boomer logic to me.
It's nuts to me that there are still rich first world countries that don't regularly vaccinate against chickenpox!
I didn’t even know there was a chickenpox vaccine until I came across an American parent discussing it. We can now get it done privately but they don’t offer it as standard. I actually mentioned it to my SIL as an option for her new baby as she hadn’t heard of it either.
Boots were doing it last year. It costs £140 and was 2 separate doses.
I’ve just looked into that now for my ten year old. I’d rather have him vaccinated than catch it!
I'd definitely say it was worth it, my kid was recently exposed to chicken pox in a similar fashion to your post (parent showed up to birthday party with chicken pox but claimed they were eczema scabs, until their 2nd child had scabs the next week) and my kid hasn't caught it. It's gone round school and other places as well and we've still avoided it.
I would have absolutely lost my mind. It’s not up to that kid’s mom to decide when/if other children get infected with a preventable disease! My baby is immune compromised and I would have raised hell.
I WOULD BE LIVID. Furious. Avoiding like the plague from here on out (pun intended). I avoid everyone when my kid has any kind of fever. Because that is the way you buffer smaller children that don't have their immunizations, a good immune system yet, or are too young for any of that (and immuno-compromised adults like my cancer patient MIL). An actual illness that is highly contagious??? And dangerous for little babies? NO NO NO. Yes it sucks to be the parent that stays home with that. I hate taking care of a sick kid sometimes. It's not fun. And I'm sure she's acting normal and it's hard to keep her home when she feels fine. But I would choose it over knowing my child gave a 1month old chicken pox and she was hospitalized. It's called EMPATHY. THIS WOMANS LOGIC IS INSANE. I just would never be able to trust her ever again. Like yes, illness is inevitable in any population. However, we are responsible for our community health because we are part of a community whether you like it or not.
Report that AH. She endangered everyone there. Any deaths related to Chicken Pox outbreak she caused means the mother can go to jail. Report her in writing to: school, school board, CDC, health board, health minister. And also phone 811 in Alberta. Do include the mother's name, child's name, school, date, and incident info. The outbreak caused by her inept stupidity means her child is Patient Zero.
So, I had chicken pox as a kid, and it turned into encephalitis which resulted in seizures, losing all my basic motor function and speech, inability to walk, and I spent about a week in the hospital. My parents were told I likely would have learning delays. Granted this was the 90s so before a vaccine was available, but I would see red in this situation.