CBS 5 Investigates mail order diseases (chicken pox infected lollipops or clothing)

[The Straight Story]

PHOENIX (KPHO) -

Doctors and medical experts are concerned about a new trend taking place on Facebook. Parents are trading live viruses through the mail in order to infect their children.

The Facebook group is called "Find a Pox Party in Your Area." According to the group's page, it is geared toward "parents who want their children to obtain natural immunity for the chicken pox."

On the page, parents post where they live and ask if anyone with a child who has the chicken pox would be willing to send saliva, infected lollipops or clothing through the mail.

Parents also use the page to set up play dates with children who currently have chicken pox.

http://www.kpho.com/story/15896021/cbs-5-investigates-mail-order-diseases

[hobbit709]

1. WTF??

Obviously the antivaccine nuts.

[dtexdem]

2. Proof of participation should lead to losing parental rights.

Playing games with what can be a very serious, including fatal, disease.

[pstokely]

7. Chicken pox is usually minor in healthy children

nt

[aquart]

3. Like they did before vaccines and the internet?

[BlueJazz]

4. I can...kinda' understand this but seems to be a dangerous way to go about it.

What if some child caught a disease far worse than Chicken pox.?

...and frankly...it's weird

[Warren DeMontague]

5. Wow, who says investigative journalism is dead.

:eyes:

[joeybee12]

6. They apparently saw an episode of South Park...nt

[Shandris]

8. While I'd be quite a bit nervous about it and definitely think there are better ways...

...getting chicken pox at a late age is seriously no laughing matter.

I developed chicken pox at 19. I ran a 104.3 degree fever for 2 full days -- for many people, that alone is a death sentence -- and had a high fever for 5 days after that (just not that high). Delirium, hallucinations... I was taking some downers at the time, too...it's kind of foggy to remember, but IIRC they were darcovet 500's. I've always had a remarkable ability to rebound from circumstances that are near-catastrophic though and I did so in this case (although you can rest assured, my body is paying for that resiliency now), but that is one of three times I know for certain I was knocking on death's door.

For young children, it's practically nothing but some discomfort and a day of sickness, plus the itch time.

But trading them through the mail? Ehhh...no, that's probably just a bad all-around idea.

[Brickbat]

9. .

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