Chook Me!

Can a child get chicken pox from touching a scab of a friend who has it?

My DD (8) has just returned to school following the holidays, and her classmate has had chicken pox over the holiday (they were only off for two weeks!) they were playing/touching his scabs yesterday, and I am pretty sure they would be dry by now but she has never had chicken pox! Anyone with a similar experience that can advise? I even think she could prob get it from being with him at school BEFORE the holiday!

Public Comments

1. I don't think so...
2. Chickenpox is highly contagious. Your DD could get it just by being in the same room as a child who has it let alone touching them.
3. it's possible. sorry to break it to ya
4. If all the pox are scabbed over, she is no longer contagious, and it is safe to touch her scabs! The pox can be red and inflamed, even after all of them have formed scabs; but they are harmless then. It can take 5 to 10 days after the formation of the first blister, for all the blisters to be scabbed over. Also, the person may be contagious for a day or so before the first blister forms. So, if she got sick the first day of vacation, she could have been contagious on the last day of school. Anyway, chicken pox isn't the end of the world. When I learned that my friends' daughters had chicken pox, I invited them over for a chicken pox party with my daughter and encouraged them to share drinks. I call me old fashioned, but I'd rather my daughter got it as a child than an adult. And the chickenpox vaccine is one that I would not use, even in adulthood, as it is made from human embryos.
5. Honestly, she should have gotten the vaccine or chicken pox already. Even if the boy isn't contagious anymore, unless his house and all of his belongings were disinfected, he can still spread the virus.