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SALT LAKE CITY — Some parents who choose not to vaccinate their children are instead choosing to purposefully infect them with chickenpox, in violation of the law.
You can find pages on Facebook dedicated to getting your child infected with chickenpox, usually in the form of a gathering or party in your area. But a similar page found by an NBC affiliate in Nashville, Tenn. also offered the virus on lollipops sent through the mail.
For $50 via PayPal, Wendy Werkit had a "fresh batch of pox" on suckers and Q-tips. WSMV-TV asked that mother about her offer.
"They were sucked on by my kids," Werkit explained. "They can't get (chicken pox) the normal way anymore, of just catching them naturally and getting immunity for life."
The story has spurred doctors nationwide to speak out against the practice. They say it's unlikely the virus would survive the shipping process; and even if it did, the virus typically has to be inhaled, not ingested, to infect someone.
"You don't know whether they're going to be effective in transmitting the diseases that you're hoping to transmit, and you may be transmitting some more dangerous diseases," said Dr. Audrey Stevenson, with the Salt Lake Valley Heath Department.
Stevensen said diseases that would likely survive shipping are more dangerous, including hepatitis, and even MRSA.
Aside from the health implications, it is a federal crime to send diseases or viruses across state lines.
It's not a new thing for parents to purposefully infect their children with chickenpox. But doctors say since the vaccine was made available in the mid-90s, the chicken pox parties aren't necessary.
Written by Nadine Wimmer and Peter Samore.
