Chicken Pox-Infected Lollipops Are a Real Thing

Photo by beingmimosa.

This was definitely the most disgusting story we've come across in a while: NPR reported that a woman in Nashville was selling lollipops, licked and sucked on by her chicken pox-infected children, to parents around the country. It's official - the parental obsession with chicken pox has gone too far.

The woman was also shipping spit and cotton swabs through the mail. Yet another innovative small business on the internet! Luckily, sane people have pointed out that feeding your children any unknown food (let alone foods purportedly licked by other sick children) is a really, really bad idea. U.S. District Attorney Jerry Martin asked, “Can you imagine getting a package in the mail from this complete stranger that you know from Facebook because you joined a group, and say here, drink this purported spit from some other kid?” Why would anyone do this?

Chicken pox parties have been a thing for years, though the concept has always been mildly creepy. Once you get the disease, you can't get it again - and it tends to be more severe as kids get older. So, when one kid in a neighborhood has it, all the other parents bundle their kids off to the infected house to... get them sick. Sound kinda mean and icky? Well, doctors don't like it either.

Back in 2005, the American Academy of Pediatrics' Dr. Sarah Long talked to NPR about just what a bad idea those parties are compared to the vaccination. "The notion that you would willingly expose your child to the naturally virulent strong virus when there is the opportunity to have a virus in its weakened form that's as immunogenic just makes no sense to me whatsoever," she said.

Last week, the Chicago Tribune's resident pediatrician, Dr. Diana Blythe, weighed in on "Chicken Pox parties." She said that the need for them is over, thanks to the chicken pox vaccine. However, a lot of parents don't like the vaccine. If you check out the "Find a Pox Party" Facebook group (yes, there is one) they describe many objections to the vaccine, though the CDC thinks it's just fine. Even if you don't want to vaccinate your kids, please don't buy random diseases over the internet.

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By Anthony Todd in News on November 8, 2011 1:20 PM 0 Comments

Comments [rss]

BombaySplashVermouth

Good old fashioned food poisoning was not good enough, eh?

DeanCutlet

There's a chicken pox vaccine? BAD-ASS!

BrandName

I showed up for the Pox Party and it turned out to be a Lemon Party. Terrible evening.

schmeep

Not for everyone, whippersnapper.

twocee

Isn't it illegal to ship an infectious disease through the mail? Or UPS?

mmheidelberger

I believe so; the shipping of infectious or bio hazard material is prohibited.

Mimihaha

Are we bringing back polio next?

Dirk

Oh yeah. Who's up for a Polio Party?!

BlueFairlane

Ooo ... have it at the pool. Everybody can play water polio.

copperreddc

If anyone had any sense they'd take the kids away from crazy idiots like this.

ChicagoD

Yeah, but only AFTER the kid has had chicken pox. Who wants to miss a week of work with a sick kid?

copperreddc

Well momma is probably out mailing more biohazard through the mail, so she'd notice her meal ticket was gone then. Maybe grab them on the last few days?

BlueFairlane

Over the last 20 years, parents have gone frikkin' insane. I mean seriously, batshit crazy insane. And, of course, this means the next generation will be even nuttier. We as a culture are slowly nurturing ourselves off our societal rocker.

Rocknrope

I had chicken pox. It sucked. The worst are the ones on your scalp. If I ever shave my head, it's probably going to be a horror show underneath there.

chuzzlewit

totally sucked. i thought the ones in my throat were the worst - and they showed up first so there wasn't anything on the outside of me to indicate what was going on. freaked me out, and that shit HURT.

ChicagoD

Yeah. The think about the vaccine is that once kids started getting the vaccine, you kind of have to get your kid inoculated because you can't count on getting the disease in nature. Not sure that the vaccine was necessary, but once it is widespread, you kind of have no choice.

fergmelk

Not to mention that you then have to continue getting boosters, because they've now discovered one or two innoculations as a young child are not sufficient to form a lifelong immunity. So if you DON'T get the boosters, your chances of getting the much more painful (and sometimes permanent effects-leaving) complication of shingles are greatly increased.

Hurrah for medicine???

copperreddc

Thanks Jenny McCarthy.

ChicagoD

Well, Ms. McCarthy, generally yay for medicine, but less so this one time.

fergmelk

In my defense, I said absolutely nothing about autism. I think that's some loosely derived bullshit, personally, and McCarthy is just as much a loud-mouthed imbecile now as she was in her MTV Singled Out heyday.

ChicagoD

OK. A little unfair of me. Sorry.

Morley1

Why wasn't I informed of this BEFORE Halloween?

ChicagoD

You know that Halloween comes every year, right?

cr17

Uh, those better be made with pure cane sugar, or there's no way I'm giving them to my kids.

ChicagoD

Agave syrup. Cane sugar is harvested by virtual slaves, you monster.

Detex

virtual slaves? is that like holographic slaves? They sound awesome, where can I get one!??!

ChicagoD

The Caribbean.

Detex

if they are truly virtual you MUST be able to get one online!

ChicagoD

Like internet gambling, they are illegal in the U.S. but available in the Caribbean. Besides, if you don't believe me use the ebays yourself and figure it out.