Pox Parties

Chicken pox laced lollipops?  This is insane!!  Instead of getting their children vaccinated for chicken pox, parents are spreading lollipops that have been licked by an infected child.

This is their idea of building immunity without having the child vaccinated.  Parents are actually paying for these infected candies.  The article states. "The transport and sale of contaminated items has been linked to a Facebook group called "Find a Pox Party in Your Area," which helps people anonymously arrange for the swapping and sale of contaminated items."  


It is illegal to to tamper with consumer products and it is also illegal to send a virus through the mail.  Dr. Harpaz from the Centers for Disease Control said, "It's kind of like playing Russian roulette with your child."  She also says that children that are not vaccinated are more likely to get shingles later in life.  Also, not only are these lollipops infected with chicken pox, parents could be unknowingly spreading other diseases such as influenza or hepatitis.


This is the craziest thing that I have heard of in a long time.  I think that people should have their children vaccinated.  I believe that a lot of schools require children to be vaccinated to start school.  If the child gets chicken pox, it's not uncommon.  The article states, "Before the vaccine was licensed, there were in the order of 100 kids (in the U.S.) who died of chicken pox per year. Now there are very few among vaccinated children"