Here's a Lollipop for You...

You’ve probably heard of "chickenpox parties," where parents get unvaccinated kids together (in the home of an infected child) in the hopes they'll catch the disease. They think making their kids suffer through the disease will help them develop stronger immunity than immunization would provide.

But now the buzz is all about people shipping objects that have been contaminated with the chickenpox virus to people who live too far away to attend a pox party.

A Nashville TV station Thursday reported on a local woman who charged $50 a pop to ship suckers smothered in saliva by her sick kids.

Spurred by that story, Nashville federal prosecutor Jerry Martin on Friday warned parents not to try it. “It’s illegal and unsafe,” Martin told the Associated Press.

A Phoenix TV station last week reported that a Facebook page called “Find a Pox Party in Your Area” was helping to arrange shipments of contaminated objects—jammies, blankets, suckers.

But shortly after the Phoenix story ran, the “pox party” FB page posted a warning:

“The mailing of infectious items, such as lollipops, rags, etc., is a federal offense. This page is not private and can been seen by members and non-members alike. You may post on the page that you have the pox and are willing to share but please keep your specifics in private messages between members. We are all intelligent adults but these guidelines will help protect your privacy. If you'd like to go back and delete your posts about mailing, feel free to do so.”

Apparently, people heeded that warning, because there now are no posts about shipping the virus.

It is indeed illegal to mail chickenpox virus, says U.S. Postal Service spokeswoman Sue Brennan. “Mailing infectious substances and/or materials is illegal unless it meets very specialized requirements between authorized parties—and chicken pox parties don’t qualify,” Brennan told TODAYMoms in an email.

On top of that, no one knows whether the virus would actually survive the trip and be able to infect someone on the other end, says Rafael Harpaz, a medical epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We could guess that the virus would survive longer in liquids or on wet surfaces than dry surfaces,” Harpaz says. “To some degree, it would depend how much virus was on the item to begin with.” And since you can’t tell by looking, “it could be contagious, but maybe not.”

And really, would you want to stick a used lollipop in your kid’s mouth? Who knows what other microbes might lurk there.

“There are so many reasons why this is a dumb idea,” Harpaz says, noting that before the chickenpox vaccine became available, the disease killed 100 to 150 children every year, most of whom were previously healthy.

Courtesy of,
Rita Rubin, a Washington, D.C.,-based writer and author, is the married mom of a teen and a tween, both girls. She mainly writes about health and medicine, but, at the risk of dating herself, counts Erma Bombeck among her literary heroes.

I couldn't resist posting this, i'm wondering your thoughts on this, to me i think it's going a little too far, i can see it being all in the family, even then i'm still like keep your virus away from me and my child.. but to mail your virus by having your child lick a lollipop, some even charge 50 bucks.. im wondering if anyone paid for it?

I'm in disbelief to be honest, this idea is really dumb to say the least... Humans really managed to land one of us on the moon? After reading this I seriously doubt it.

Gross. I read this like 3 times. I'm speechless. I have heard that it's more mild for a child. It can be a tough illness to contract as an adult.

Getting chicken pox as an adult is awful.  My little brother got it a few years ago and he was very very poorly for about 8 weeks.  His entire face was just so swollen with all the spots and so bright red.  I felt so sorry for him - he really did suffer.  I gotta say though, this is just crazy - I'm a bit lost for words tbh.

blue

As for myself i caught them twice, once as a child then again at age 16 right after my daughter was born, i was miserable and had to stay away from my daughter she was around about 1 1/2 at the time it was awful, had to stay with my mother, when my daughter caught them she stayed with my daughters fathers mother (she was fine just very itchy and not many spots) doctor was worried i could catch them again, it gets dangerous as you are older..

Is it unusual to catch it twice Imagin?

I recall my Mother used to suffer with "shingles" if chicken pox was around.

blue

I too got it twice. Once when i was like 5 and again in my mid 20's. My mom said that's impossible cuz i already had it. Doc told me that it is possible if you had a mild case.

It is horrible to get as an adult and i don't think i have ever been so sick. It took me three months to recover fully where i felt myself again. To make matters worse i got the flu on top of it all.

And talk about look a mess! I wanted to go out so bad to get fresh air but my face was a sight to behold. I would just ride along in the car and not go in any stores.

Lips

haha Lips we are in the same boat.. it's not extremely rare but is rare to catch them twice and yes in later years it can become shingles.. as well as you can catch chicken pox FROM shingles.. and i hear shingles is way  worse then pox.. also when you are THAT age having the chicken pox people will look at you strangely. all cover in red spots and calamine say stuff like isn't that a childs disease lol....

i remember reading the my childhood written recordings of the childhood diseases i had,consisting of the mumps, chicken pox, whooping cough, and measles..  the only thing i remember about all of them was having my temp taken from my booty, and bein chased all over a school auditorium by two women in white coats, i was up and down, underover, inbetween, two nurses at each end with their arms sretched tryna catch me..i swear if i was in the olympics i'd have the gold, i knew what was coming.. A SHOT!! aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh