Day Care Chicken Pox Etiquette

[sparksals]

Chicken pox is far more severe in adults than in children. In the case of an ordinary, healthy child I would far prefer them to get it as a child than risk it as an adult.

I contracted CP when I was about 25.  I was working as a cashier at Safeway at the time and a woman brought her little boy in with her to do shopping, thinking he wasn't contagious.  Well, I caught them!

I was lucky.  I didn't have a bad case, but when my sister caught them from her daughter at age 30+, she had them everywhere - including private cavities.  

Neither of us were really sick with them, but it was more an annoyance than anything else.  I don't understand why they're considered more dangerous for adults.  Maybe it's because not many adults get them?  When I told people I had them, they were shocked I didn't have them as a kid.  I was too.  I remember being ticked that everyone else in school got several days off b/c of CP and I never did! LOL

[sparksals]

Wow! Seriously thank you. I never even *thought* of this as a problem at all! I have a doc appointment coming up and I will definetly bring it up. I didn't consider it an issue but after hearing about it here and then looking into it online it seems to me I should get the vaccine.

I'm not sure adults can even get the vaccine.  I thought I heard it wasn't nearly as effective as having it as a child.  I could be wrong.

Just so you know, when I had the CP as an adult, mine was a very mild case.  I had a few spots on my stomach and thought they were bites.  it wasn't until I found more on my arm and legs that it dawned on me.

I had no itching, no feeling sick, no major problems.  My sister had them at an age older than I did and while she was covered from head to toe and "internally", hers wasn't all that major either.

Don't worry about it. 

[ZipTheWonder]

Wow! Seriously thank you. I never even *thought* of this as a problem at all! I have a doc appointment coming up and I will definetly bring it up. I didn't consider it an issue but after hearing about it here and then looking into it online it seems to me I should get the vaccine.

Adults who haven't had chickenpox can (and probably should, because of the greater risks to them) be vaccinated. 

I don't know how old you are, but I'm guessing you're over 15 years -- which is about how long the vaccine has been available.  That's probably why you weren't vaccinated as a child.

[platys]

I caught Chicken Pox in kindergarden, and had a really really bad case - I was out of school for a month.  I had them in my mouth, my ears, and I'm sure in my privates, but honestly, I doubt I noticed.  There's the standard "aww, so cute, child covered with chicken pox" picture in my mom's album - I was completely covered with calamine lotion, head to toe.

I remember actually poking the boy who had them at school in the stomach - he was showing off his pox to everyone . I think I was the only oen who caught it that badly though.

[graceh9]

It really wouldn't have made much difference anyway.  Chicken-pox is most contagious before any spots appear - I think the peak-time is the day beforehand, when the child feels perfectly fine but is still exposing anyone else who comes near her.  I truly don't see what sort of action the daycare could take, in any event.

If the other kids have been vaccinated, they too would likely get very mild cases, if any.  Chicken pox can indeed be very serious in some kids, and that's the whole point of vaccination, after all.  I'd wager that this is all going to end up being much ado about nothing.

the idea that chickenpox and flu and colds are MOST contagious BEFORE symptoms appear is an urban legend -- it isn't true -- most illnesses including those three are contagious throughout the symptomatic period, although they ARE contagious a day or two symptoms appear as well

Chickenpox in particular is VERY contagious as long as spots are not healed up --

the OP's child MAY have had chickenpox, but it is also possible that they were bug bites -- I had one child who had a very mild case of chickenpox that we would probably have missed if there hadn't been an outbreak -- like the OP's child, he had fewer than 10 spots and felt fine -- but he was still able to pass them on

[cass2591]

I don't understand why they're considered more dangerous for adults.

Adults are more likely to suffer from encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or pneumonia, both of which can be fatal or cause permanent disability.

[RuneGuardian]

Wowww...action due to chicken pox. Gee, I got the chicken pox twice as a kid - once from my neighbor friend and once from a classmate. Just think of the potential cash my mom could have hauled in for suing these families for having their kids infect me.

This may be a little off-topic, but is it also not true that those who receive the vaccine may still end up getting "breakthrough" chicken pox (a mild case of CP), which is also mildly contagious?

[IndianInlaw]

People would have to prove their child specifically caught chicken pox from your daughter. 

Keep in mind, the daycare accepted your child with the knowledge she had a potential health issue (for lack of a better term).  The teacher could have told you to take her home until you could produce a note from a doctor.  Your responsibility ended there.

They would have to prove some negligence on your part.

And the  judge would most likely tell any plaintiffs not to waste his or her time.

[IndianInlaw]

By the way, I have this one crossing guard kid I have nicknamed The Happy Camper.  Man, he's happy every time I see him.  He must be 10 years old.

One day, he was coming home from school and I said my usual "see ya tomorrow!" and he replied "I won't be here.  I had a test on my arm and can't come back until my doctor writes a note".

I said "see you then!", when I was actually thinking "eeeeeekkkk! Tuberculosis!"

Well, his family spends a lot of time in the tropics.

[mich3554]

As mentioned, chicken pox is far more severe in adults than children.  However, it is not the innocuous disease that it's being made out to be - especially in the day of secondary infections with antibiotic resistant bacteria.

BTW, I was teaching a graduate student who acquired chicken pox from her niece.  My student was in the hospital for 3 weeks and nearly died.  This was about the time that the vaccine came out. 

Adults can be immunized with the chicken pox vaccine if they do not show a titer to the virus.  Interestingly enough, the vaccine has shown to be effective against shingles in adults (which is a reoccurrence of the dormant virus in nerve endings).  Just for this, I've been considering getting the vaccination myself, even though I have had the disease (and have the scars too).  Shingles in adults can be pretty ugly

It IS a very contagious disease, but most children should have been immunized.  There are some children who do not mount a complete immune response and it sounds like that's what happened with your daughter in that she only acquired partial immunity from the vaccine.  That also happened to the daughter of a friend of mine.

IMO, it was an over the top reaction from your daycare.

[beakiebean]

One day, he was coming home from school and I said my usual "see ya tomorrow!" and he replied "I won't be here.  I had a test on my arm and can't come back until my doctor writes a note".

I said "see you then!", when I was actually thinking "eeeeeekkkk! Tuberculosis!"

Well, his family spends a lot of time in the tropics.

It's possible to be a positive reactor to the TB test. You don't have the disease but when they do the skin test on your arm it reacts positively. After a positive reaction they X-ray your chest to check your lungs which clarifies if it's TB or a false read.

I used to work in a nursing home and we had to be tested-I'm a positive reactor so had to go get the chest X-ray and a note from my doc to confirm that I didn't have it. One you have a false reaction you can't have another skin TB test or you can have issues with the test site on your arm.

Lol-and of course no one in my class wanted to sit by me after my skin reacted until I'd gotten the chest X-ray. Nothing like feeling like a pariah. 

[mdatca]

That is silly of the dc director.  I have not had pox and neither has my 20 year old son.  My 18 year old had them 2x's as well as my sis.  Doc said if they have less than 25 pox then there is a possibility of getting them again.  16 year dtr had them everywhere and they were bad.  14 year old was a normal case.  There is no rhyme or reason to how they work.  

[Brentwood]

What kind of "action" are they threatening - are they suggesting they would kick your child out of the daycare?

Things like this happen. Often times children infected with chicken pox are contagious BEFORE the spots/fever/other symptoms become obvious. Communicable illnesses are one of the hazards of any group setting such as daycare, preschool, school, workplaces...

I understand that people might be angry, but I don't know what they expect you to do. You pulled her out as soon as you knew it might be chicken pox.

[lkdrymom]

Years ago I sent my kids to daycare. I was called becuase they thought they had chicken pox and I had to come right away. Here I thought I was so stupid cause I thought they were mesquito bites. I called the dr and they said I had to wait untilt he next day to bring them in. So I missed half a day of work picking them up and another half day to take them to the doctor to comfirm.....mesquito bites.

[jfulle5]

What kind of "action" are they threatening - are they suggesting they would kick your child out of the daycare?

I think this is what was meant but as of right now things have calmed down. Rena (my daughter) is doing great, a little spotty but in a great mood. She goes back to the doctor tomorrow to see when she can go back to the daycare. Do we have to wait till all the spots are gone?