<s>[INST] Hi, may I answer your health queries right now ?  Please type your query here...Hi i just discovered my 4 year old has chicken pox and we will be going away for a few days. Will he be able to swim in a swimming pool and be outdoors whilst he has the spots. [/INST] Hi & Welcome/I appreciate your concern about your 4-year-old son with chickenpox. It is not advisable for your son to go swimming during chickenpox infection. Chickenpox is highly contagious. If your child has contracted chickenpox, he/she should not go swimming or play contact sports unless all blisters have crusted over. This normally takes place a week after the first rash started. Try to avoid public places, as others may catch the virus, which may be dangerous, especially to those who are pregnant or have a weak immune system. Swimming may also soften the crusts, which may result in a more intense itch and the crusts may fall off early leaving scars. Hope to have answered your query. </s>