No, this is not a new candy. This is a new take on the “pox party.” Have you heard of how some parents bring their unvaccinated kids to a house where another kid has the chicken pox, in hopes that their children will catch it? Well, one mom is selling freshly chicken-pox-infected lollipops to parents who want their kids to contract it.
Why would a parent do this? Well, contracting the chicken pox as a child pretty much ensures life-long immunity to contracting it again. Another reason is avoiding unnecessary vaccines. Parents who are against vaccinations or even a little leary of them think that this is the better option. Also, having the chicken pox as a child is easier and less serious (in most cases) than contracting it as an adult.
So should you try and get your child infected with those itchy red spots? Before you pass the lollipop, keep in mind that chicken pox is still a very serious disease, and there are deaths associated with this virus (although considerably less since the vaccination was introduced in 1995). Whether you decide to let your children contract chicken pox naturally, or you decide to vaccinate, it is a very personal and individual decision.
Personally, I am still up in the air about vaccinating my son, but I do know that I won’t be subjecting him to someone else’s licked candy.
