Chicken Pox Question??

My eldest is finally getting chicken pox at the age of 5 and a half! Not exactly the greatest of timing....is it inevitable that second son will get them? And can anyone tell me how long it usually takes for a second child to come down with the dreaded bumps??  Just trying to plot my holidays around incubation!

Three weeks incubation.  But it starts not when the spots come out but before.  I think right before is when they're most infectious.  And no, it's not guaranteed that he'll even get them.  My three had them at three separate times.  All at the most possibly inconvenient.

Thanks for that Mindy. Lets see, it's the 7th, so 3 weeks. Well that's Christmas sorted amongst the spots! Yippee. Pass the vodka....

At least that way if there's anywhere you DON'T want to go, it's always a good excuse.   

We had pox appear on one child exactly 2 weeks after they appeared on the first.

Do kids in the UK need to have the shot/jab for chicken poxs?

I have four sons and only one has had Chicken Pox. My friends kids all got them within 2 weeks of each other.

I had Chicken Pox twice.  Once with my sister, once without.  JMO but with my kids, I won't do a Chicken pox jab. 

I had Chicken pox over Christmas! Remember it well, actually - so I must have been fairly old? Hmm.

I've had it twice too. Once in my mid twenties off a student...thankfully it only covered my back but man, no one believes me when I say i've had it twice....

Two weeks between poxes. Ick.... Christmas is looking grimmer everyday...

Who the hell is going to do my CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!!!!!!!!!!!?

Santa?

 

Santa?

 

HO HO HO   

Do kids in the UK need to have the shot/jab for chicken poxs?

I don't think there is one.

I had chicken pox when I was 13, it was horrrrrrrrrrrible! It's the same virus that causes Shingles, so if you've had chicken pox and your kid gets it, you might end up with shingles.  And vice versa - I got chicken pox when my dad had shingles.

the chicken pox vaccine is called varicella. vaccination policies vary from country to country; both protocols having pros and cons......  UK policy is to let all kids get chicken pox at an early age to gain immunity.  US policy is to vaccinate; in fact it's mandatory before entering school in the US.  France has just started offering the vaccine.  As we will be taking our two UK born kids back to the States, we have had the shots done privately here during the 12-18 month range when the vaccine is most effective.  Or you can get the shots while in the US and i'm told it's much cheaper, or even free at the health department immunization clinics.

They came out with a vaccine in the USA about 8 years ago. They offered it to my son but we declined. I vaguely remember speaking to my Health Visitor about it and believe she said its a requirement here before children start school. Cant be certain though...I may have my countries mixed up. It could have been my Pediatrician in the USA that told me that.