PLT RPT; DC10-30. HOLDING PATTERN OVER MANHATTAN; TRYING TO LAND IN EWR. SICK CHILD; MEDICAL EMER; STRAIGHT-IN LNDG. PARAMEDICS MET FLT.

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OUR ORIGINAL DEST WAS EWR; BUT IT WAS BACKED UP; AND WE WERE SENT INTO 2 HOLDING PATTERNS. GETTING LOW ON FUEL; WE DIVERTED TO JFK; OUR ALTERNATE. OVER MANHATTAN; OUR LEAD FLT ATTENDANT CAME UP AND SAID A CHILD IN THE BACK WAS SICK; SHE HAD A 104 DEG FEVER; HAD THROWN UP; AND WAS CRYING UNSTABLY. THE PARENTS SAID HER MEDICINE WAS IN A CHKED BAGGAGE; IN THE CARGO HOLD. I SENT THE FLT ATTENDANT BACK TO LOOK AFTER THE CHILD FURTHER; AND ASKED APCH CTL IF WE MIGHT SLIP BACK INTO EWR; AS WE HAD A POSSIBLE SICK PAX. WE WERE GIVEN A 220 DEG VECTOR. I CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANT BACK; AND HE SAID THE PARENTS HAD DISROBED THE CHILD AND WERE APPLYING ICE TO COOL HER OFF. AS WE WERE ON INTL FLT; AND I WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH CUSTOMS IN JFK; OR HOW LONG IT MIGHT BE BEFORE THE PARENTS RETRIEVED THEIR MEDICINE IN THE CARGO HOLD; I DECLARED AN EMER AND ASKED TO LAND AT EWR. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER THE MAIN CABIN DOOR WAS OPENED AT THE GATE AND I WAS ABLE TO CHK ON THE FAMILY MYSELF; I SAW THAT THE CHILD WAS QUIET AND NORMAL-LOOKING; WITH MAYBE A LITTLE FLUSH IN HER CHEEKS. THE 'MEDICINE' IN CHKED BAGGAGE TURNED OUT TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN CHILDREN'S TYLENOL! THE PARAMEDICS ASKED A FEW QUESTIONS AND LEFT. I ALMOST FELT LIKE APOLOGIZING TO THE GATE AGENT. BUT THEN AGAIN; IT'S BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (NEXT TIME; I'LL HAVE THE FLT ATTENDANT ASK THE PARENTS 'WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE ILLNESS.' IF THEY SAID 'THE FLU;' I'LL KNOW BETTER.)