Vent Chickenpox

Updated on March 10, 2014
M.L. asks from Conneaut, OH
27 answers

school sent an email chicken pox is going around.

cudding in bed weds, dd says itch my back, fine goodnight didn't think about it.

she wakes up in the middle of the night puking.

holds down breakfast wants to go to school my work starts at 6 am before anyone else wakes up so this was DH call. He sends her.

next nigh after bath I notice she has a rash, uh oh. but she has had the vaccination so I know it won't be as sever. she is also up several times in the night and I know at this point she doesn't feel well. I wake hubs before I leave and tell him she was up all night and needs to stay home, I think she has chicken pox. He could have taken off of work his job is more flexible, but he had a breakfast meeting with a friend ( not work related but a volunteer thing) so he sent her. she made it through the day.

I nixed a sleep over she had planned that night, she cried but sometimes I have to be the mom.
next day was sat she hung out at home, she is still popping out in new spots, my mom still agreed to babysit like we had planned so DH and I went out.

Today is sunday, she has more new spots, I nixed her going to church. DH is acting mad at me, stomping around answering in monosyllables.

I need a reality check that chicken pox are still contagious even in kids that have been vaccinated, and that even if the rest of the world was vaccinated which they probably aren't, I still shouldn't be exposeing them

and I need to know how long to expepct this to last???. I'm sure he will want to send her to school on Monday and she is acting fine at this point, only complains of itching at bedtime, hasn't thrown up again is sleeping well again. but still has new spots.

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So What Happened?

thank you! I can't believe what an idiot he is being! This isn't just a rash. it looks exactly what the online photos of kids with vaccination that get chicken pox have. All the online info agrees wth my knowledge that you have to wait until they are crusted over and no new ones are popping out. It's just hard to find the strength to fight hubs when I'm dealing with everything else and when it's so obvious.

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D.K.

answers from Pittsburgh on

WOW. Completely irresponsible. Do you know how many pregnant women work in schools? 10-20% of pregnant women who contract chicken pox develop serious complications like pneumonia. Up to 40% of those can DIE. As in DEAD.
http://www.cdc.gov/pregnancy/infections-chickenpox.html

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C.M.

answers from Washington DC on

yes, chicken pox is still contagious even if you have had the vax for it (as you know). My daughter had it twice. Both times confirmed by the dr. They were both very mild cases. My son has not had it yet. I do not vax.

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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

I'd copy and print off the school's policy regarding puking and not attending school. Kiddo should not have been anywhere after they puked that first time. Hubby may not be aware of how serious it is to send a sick kiddo to school.

I'd expect him to abide by school policy, period. If this happens again I'd be mad at him. Kiddo is spreading any illness they have if they go to school against school policy.

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D..

answers from Miami on

I'm sorry if this is inappropriate, but I'm super pissed at your husband's attitude. You told him that you thought she had chicken pox and instead of keeping her home, he goes out with a friend. Chicken pox is a DISEASE. That little girl needs rest. That disease is running through that little body wreaking havoc, lowering her ability to fight secondary infections that can make having chickenpox a real bad thing.

And YES, she is very contagious. I will just bet your husband would be LIVID if another kid came to school with a disease that HIS child caught because that kid's parent was SO dismissive of their community responsibility, which is exactly what your husband has done here.

If I were a mom in your kid's class and I knew that this kid was coming to school before her pox dried up, I'd be in that nurse's office pitching a fit. She is contagious until all those pox are dried up and there hasn't been a fever for at LEAST 24 hours. BOTH. If she's still breaking out in more pox, she is NOT getting better.

You need to put your foot down and demand that this child stay at home until she is not contagious anymore. Your husband needs to understand that kids that come in contact with his daughter may get sick, take sickness home to a little baby in their family and cause a lot of heartache. He doesn't have the right to do that. A sick child belongs at HOME. That's part of being a parent - taking care of a sick child is a parent's responsibility. If neither of you want to stay home, you get someone else to help out. You don't send her to school.

I'm telling you, with a husband who stomps around mad at you for not taking a child STILL POPPING OUT IN POX to church, I don't know what you're going to do to wake him up. It would be World War III in my house if I had a husband like this.

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B.K.

answers from Chicago on

Your husband is a fool. Chicken pox isn't just a rash, it is a highly contagious virus that your daughter needs to heal from. It's not unheard of for people with chicken pox to get secondary bacterial infections of the lesions, respiratory complications and neurological issues. Infected children need to rest at home until they start to scab over. She shouldn't be out in public at all, and should be resting as much as possible so she heals.

The thing I find maddening about her going to school is that it is extremely dangerous for pregnant women to be around someone with chicken pox -- their babies can die in utero. I work for a doctor who is pregnant and she will not walk in a patient room if there is a chance the patient has chicken pox. And here is your husband sending your daughter out in the world to be a danger to people like that. Ridiculous and irresponsible.

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J.S.

answers from Chicago on

Parenting and advocating for your kids is hard. But you don't get any sympathy from me - I hate parents that send their kids to school when they have a communicable disease.

Grow a set and stand up to "hubs".

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

Reading this, it makes me real pissed off, that he is sending your daughter to school and anywhere else, as usual... EVEN If she has chickenpox and/or her Doc has not been called or consulted with at all. And that, this is being taken, so lightly. As though she has NOTHING wrong with her.

Did you tell the school?
How come the Pediatrician has not been consulted with, nor this "diagnosed" properly?
Schools need to know, if a child has chicken pox, and the Health department/Doctors, track it etc.

Since your Mom babysat her... DID you tel her her grandchild has Chicken Pox? Has your Mom, had a booster shot?
DID you tell anyone... who has been around your daughter, been told that she has Chicken Pox?
It is selfish... that this is being taken so lightly.
It is not, only your Husband's fault. It is yours too. You are also her parent.

I really cannot believe, that only your Husband can make the "call" on whether or not your daughter goes anywhere or not, with her chicken pox.
You are her parent too, can't you make the "call" TOO, on if she goes to school or anywhere or not?

Do you know, that Measles is occurring as well again? Too?

She should NOT be going to school, tomorrow.
That is obvious.

CALL your Pediatrician.
Its about time.

Did you or your Husband ever have Chicken Pox, and/or gotten vaccinated?

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D.B.

answers from Boston on

My mind is blown. She woke up barfing, but she was given breakfast. She wasn't feeling well, but was sent to school to infect other kids as well as feel lousy. The rash is increasing every day and somebody's mad at you? THANK YOU for keeping her home from church and for canceling a sleepover! If your daughter was vaccinated, and still got chicken pox, that's living proof that everyone else (who may or may not be vaccinated) should not be exposed to her.

We just had a measles outbreak in my state because someone not vaccinated and who didn't know they had the disease (no rash at the time) was in stores, restaurants, and finally the medical building. Every night on the news, we hear a new report of where the infected people have been, and get calls to come in an get vaccinated if we were in those places.

Monday's agenda should not include sending her to school. It should include a phone call to the pediatrician for some real advice. Maybe it's chicken pox, maybe it's something else she was vaccinated for and it wasn't enough to give her full immunity. Somebody needs to stay home from work with this child. She's still breaking out in new spots. Maybe she's starting to get well because she's "acting fine" but this is deal with kids - they get sick, they stay home, and they don't share this with others.

I think your husband needs to be on the phone with the doctor because you're not getting through to him, but you need to fax this time line in to them beforehand so her history isn't minimized or anything overlooked.

I sure hope nothing else contagious gets passed around in her school, like head lice! Hubs has no clue about contagion!

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S.A.

answers from Chicago on

She should be seen by the pediatrician. I would have taken her when the throwing up and rash first appeared. The dr. can guide you on how long your daughter should be at home, and then you can present that info to your husband. There may be teachers or staff members at the school that weren't vaccinated for and never got chicken pox. Chicken pox for an adult can be very dangerous. It was unconscionable that your husband sent her to school because he had a meeting. I'm surprised the school didn't send her home. Keep her home tomorrow and take her to the doctor.

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M.S.

answers from Washington DC on

Wow, you both really screwed up. While at work you should have called your husband and made sure she stayed home.

Chicken pox can be very serious for some people.

She should have stayed home the day after throwing up.

You both chose work over the health of many, including your own kid!

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J.C.

answers from Philadelphia on

Like you said...you daughter had the vaccine yet caught chicken pox. Of course she is contagious and should stay home. Call your pediatrician to get details. Tell you husband your daughter must stay home. There are a lot of people that have compromised immune systems and it is really crappy to expose them when you know your daughter is contagious.
(My daughter had the whooping cough vaccine yet she contracted whooping cough). Vaccines are not sure things.

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C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

Yes. As long as she has the pustules, she CAN be contagious.

You NEED to take her to the doctor to verify that it IS Chicken Pox and not something else. Even with all three of mine being vaccinated - they each got a MINOR form of it - not none of them were vomiting.

Chicken pox can last up to 14 days - and it's considered OVER when all the blisters have scabbed over. When they are ALL scabbed over - she is no longer contagious. That's why I suggest you take her to the doctor to find out what's going on. If it's not chicken pox - she might be having an allergic reaction to something.

DO NOT give your daughter aspirin...it can cause Reye Syndrome - while rare...it can still happen.

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P.N.

answers from Boston on

Your daughter has a communicable disease and needs to stay home. I think the vaccine can lessen severity of the illness but if you do get it the course will be the same, a couple weeks on average. Everything needs to be crusted over before she goes back to school and activities (regardless of how she feels).

Before you realized she had it it's one thing to send her places (though most schools tell you to keep your kid home for 24 hours after vomiting, which is common sense) but now that you think it's chicken pox obviously she can't go anywhere. Vaccinations are not 100%. If you think it might be something else, before sending her out please call the doctor.

As an adult who has never had chicken pox and is not immune (though I have been vaccinated for it twice as an adult) I can tell you that not everyone is immune. No, of course you should not be exposing others, you have no idea what their situation is. Though it is an inconvenience for most, that is not true of those who are immunocompromised. To knowingly expose people is not the right thing to do.

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M.D.

answers from Washington DC on

I would be LIVID if my kids went to the same school as your child. Your child has a rash and is throwing up, yet she goes to school? Really?? And I wouldn't leave my sick child to go out on a date either. I think you both screwed up big time here. And take your kid to the doctor for crying out loud.

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J.G.

answers from Chicago on

I'm stunned you guys are sending your daughter out in the world when she is sick like that. I'm totally stunned she was throwing up and you sent her to school.

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A.V.

answers from Washington DC on

Your DH is an idiot. He is not thinking of your DD or anybody else. When my DD has a fever or pukes, she does NOT go to school. What was he thinking?? He sounds very selfish. Like others pointed out, she's contagious, she's sick, she needs to be home. Someone else posted a similar link about pregnancy: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/pregnancy-week-b...

Do you really want to be the one that caused someone else to lose their baby or have serious complications? Not to mention all those that might get shingles. Or people who cannot get vaccinated, like babies or those with problems with their immune systems.

PLEASE be responsible, call the school, alert the nurse and KEEP THE KID HOME. It won't be fun, but sometimes you need to buckle down and do what's right vs convenient. My neighbor's older 2 had breakthru cases of chicken pox and she kept them on quarantine for 2 weeks, minimum. The younger one's case was NOT mild and she was very very sick from it. Not everybody gets a few itchy pox and has no problems. Your DD may not have a bad case, but someone else's kid might.

If you don't know what to do, call the pediatrician, not us.

Your DH needs to stop acting like a child and be a man. If my DH was stomping around because the kid got sick and it's inconveniencing him somehow I'd tell him to get a hotel or shut up.

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L.C.

answers from Washington DC on

Chicken pox is dangerous -- it's not a nothing.
My sister and I had CP as young adults and it's not pleasant. We had been exposed as kids, but never got it. My mother has yet to get it. She was vaccinated when one of her patients came down with shingles.
Do not send your kid to school unless her pox have scabbed over. They are most infectious right before the pox come out... When she was at school but didn't know she was contagious.
Your husband needs to grow up!

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Y.M.

answers from Iowa City on

Of course you are right and I am guessing your husband is being brusque because he knows this and feels a little foolish. Maybe not. Maybe he feels inconvenienced.

Anyway she needs to stay home until the spots crust and heal. It usually takes one and a half to two weeks for all spots to heal, maybe a week since she has been vaccinated.

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A.J.

answers from Williamsport on

Yup, and in the recent Measles outbreak in NY (they're calling 15 people in a city of 8mil+ a "large" outbreak and all got well after a week), three of the 9 kids who got them were vaccinated for them.

We were in Paris (where they do not vaccinate for chicken pox) when my FULLY VACCINATED daughter got a full-blown case at 18 months. I didn't bother vaccinating second two kids for pox and I wish they would just get it too. It's not serious. I'm 44 so I had it and so did everyone my age I know. It's silly that we even vaccinate for it. The BUMMER is that it IS more serious to get it as an adult, so getting it out of the way as a child is best.

Supposedly they are most contagious before they show. We had to delay our return to States because our daughter could not fly while contagious and by their doctor's orders, that was once the spots were in full swing. I think she had the spots for about 7 days once they hit their peak. We flew with her looking horrible despite stares from fellow passengers. She wasn't too uncomfortable once the fever stage passed, we got a good cream and body wash in France for it. See what your doctor can give you.

This will pass. Everyone used to get them so don't fret, they're just annoying!

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C.V.

answers from Columbia on

What. Are. You. DOING?!

You have absolutely no business venting. You're just as wrong as your husband.

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B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

Does she have any fever or any weeping sores?
If yes, then she needs to stay home until the fever is gone and the sores no longer weep - give it a few days.
Your husband is totally wrong on this.
If he had to go out then he should have got a sitter to stay home with her instead of sending her to school while she is sick.
Oh, and by the way - he's exposed and possibly carrying the germs to who ever he's meeting with.
If they come down with it they can thank him very much for his 'consideration'.

I had full blown chicken pox when I was about 6 yrs old.
I remember incredible itching (I still have 2 scars from it more than 40 years later) and I had blisters forming everywhere - torso, arms, legs, scalp, inside of ears, in my mouth, etc.
I remember my Mom putting us in the bath tub and just coating us with calamine lotion (which didn't do a thing about the itching).

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J.S.

answers from Richland on

She is still contagious until the blisters are dry and no longer appearing. That is about a week from the first spot.

I had a couple friends growing up that had it multiple times. Vaccine only puts you on the same playing field as someone who has had them. Both my friends had a very mild case the first time, more of what I had the second.

Chicken pox has nothing to do with throwing up, heck no one I know threw up. It is the spots that are contagious! I had them as a child, one of my kids had them as a child, you felt fine, itchy but find. I had it the week my family was down in Florida, talk about miserable, I felt fine but had to stay at my grandparents home while they played at the beach. :(

So if she is getting new spots still no way she should go to school Monday. Do you want to do this to some other kid because clearly someone sent their kid too early for your daughter to get it!

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J.P.

answers from Lakeland on

Vaxed or not it is contagious and your child should be resting so her body can fight it off. Vaccines are not magic force fields and sometimes people can still get sick from what they are meant to prevent.

Not sure how long it will last but when I had them as a kid (long before the vaccine came out in the early 70's) it was about a week from low fever to rash and then gone.

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L.O.

answers from Detroit on

I bet your kid has spread that virus all around school. she has to be kept home and away from everyone until all spots have scabbed and she has no fever..

your hub is acting like a toddler.. when kids are sick they cant go to school and someone has to stay home with them..

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A.S.

answers from Boca Raton on

I agree with Doris Day about your husband - that sounds really strange.

I would check with a doctor about when she should return to school.

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M.L.

answers from Colorado Springs on

Have you talked to your doctor? You want to be sure it is chicken pox and not some other kind of rashy thing that may or may not be contagious.

Chicken pox is contagious from a couple of days BEFORE the rash appears (which I think is totally unfair!) until all the poxes are gone - at least a week, and sometimes longer. I imagine your school will verify this and say, "Keep her home!" As far as the vaccine is concerned - well, that's one reason you want to check with the doctor and see if the rash really is what it looks like.

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J.C.

answers from New York on

My suggestion is that you call the school nurse. She will advise you what to do, when you child should come back to school, etc. She will also send a note out to all parents alerting them that Chicken Pox is going around.

Your daughter is fine. She obviously has a very mild case.

People who have not had CP should be vaccinated. If they have not been, then they risk getting it. What are you going to do. Also, CP is highly contagious right before the pox show up and then until they stop appearing. So if new ones are popping out, she needs to stay isolated.

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