How will Chickenpox affect my holiday?

Got your suitcase packed? Sunglasses and sun cream at the ready? Ready to drive to the airport? Then disaster! Your child comes down the stairs saying they’ve found a rash of red spots on their chest! What can you do?

Chickenpox is very common especially in children but can affect adults too. Along with the spots, other symptoms include high temperature, aches and pains and a loss of appetite. It generally gets better after a week but the main worry for airlines and holiday accommodation is how contagious the affected individual can be. It can be unsafe and risky to be around people with low immune systems, new-born babies and pregnant women.

Your first call should be to your airline to confirm their policy on travelling with chickenpox. You ought to be aware that airlines can refuse to take you or anyone in your party on a flight if they suspect anyone to be unwell. You will need a Doctor’s note if the patient has passed the infectious stage but still has spots. In general, your child could possibly be refused onto the plane unless all the blisters have scabbed over.

If you are allowed entry on to the plane, make sure you will be allowed access into the country you are travelling to. Different countries have different rules about allowing patients with contagious conditions entry. Once again, a Doctor’s note confirming you are fit to fly and travel will be helpful to get through customs. For help and advice, you can contact the local embassy who should have entry restriction information. You will find contact details on our dedicated country listing page under the ‘embassies and visas’ tab once you have clicked on your selected country - https://www.direct-travel.co.uk/country-guides/#G

Should this scenario unfortunately happen to you, our Direct Travel insurance policies include cancellation cover. This means that you would be entitled to make a claim, provided the reason for cancelling your holiday relates to the chickenpox or a declared pre-existing medical condition. Other benefits include emergency medical help whilst on holiday, allowing you access to our 24-hour helpline with operators who are fluent in several languages. We will also cover baggage, expenses relating to ambulance and hospital costs and repatriation to the UK amongst many others. If you have already enjoyed your holiday and are getting ready to come home, then you would need to contact us if you need to extend your holiday accommodation or change your flights and we can confirm whether you will be covered should you need to make a claim.

Finally, if you are travelling to Europe, then it is essential that you carry an EHIC – European Health Insurance Card. Please see our dedicated page for more details - https://www.direct-travel.co.uk/faq/what-is-the-ehic/

This page uses information from the sources below:

• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chickenpox/
• https://www.aph.com/community/holidays/flying-chickenpox-airline-policies-you-and-children/