What do you think about "chickenpox parties"? I don't recall if they're urban legend or something that actually takes place, but do you think it's ethical?

 

For those of you who haven't heard of them, they are a gathering where a child that is infected with chickenpox (and is contagious) is allowed to play with uninfected children. Parents bring their young children to these parties in order to infect them while they're young. Sounds like a good idea, but is it ethical to do that?

Yes, but only if its during the school term!

it also includes Measels(sp?) german and otherwise, I went to several as a kid, both in the Uk and Canada, I`m as healthy as OX

 

and if I ever get blessed with having my own kid(s), I`de do the same! )

chicken pox were painful though..... especially the one I got on the end of my errrrr thinging....... can I say penis? Is it worse when your an adult, I know mumps aren't meant to make u sterile, what about chicken pox....

 

BTW theres a MMR vaccine, so no need for measles, mumps, rubela parties.

Theres also a chicken pox vaccine as well. No need for parties.

Ugh... I hate chicken pox. Imagine getting it at Christmas time too. (I did)

 

No, I'd rather have the vaccine.

I think they did this before really having vacines. The thought was that it didn't effect you as bad at a younger age as it did when you got older. Also I believe you can only (normally) get chicken pox once. So if it was true that it was much worse with age, it certainly seems ethical to get it over with.

when we found out i had it i was eating the pops cereal, so i was afraid to eat it for a long time because i was afraid that if i ate it it'd give me chicken pox. I haven't heard of these parties, but some one of my friends said her mom used to take her over to her friends' houses if they had chicken pox so she'd get it. If you catch it when you're older, isn't it worse?

a chickenpox party is cheaper than a vaccine and more effective.

a chickenpox party is cheaper than a vaccine and more effective.

 

But at what cost? Several weeks off school, painful itchy sores and potentially deadly fever (for an infant). How much more effective is it, do you have evidence?

I don`t think taking Infants to such "parties" was mentioned or part of the plan

they're a good way to making your child immune, its a lot worse when you are older and a lot more serious, those who dont have it when they are child may consider themselves lucky, but in the long run they are very unlucky.

 

but i suppose a vaccine is a bit easier if they exist now.

and despite popular beleif, you CAN catch it twice, the second time it`s called "Shingles", that CAN be fatal, and will certainly lead to Neuralgia as a permanent condition in most cases afterwards

 

I was in my early 30`s when I caught Chicken pox, it didn`t affect me as badly as it did my friend (whom I caught it off). I was Ill for a day (felt like a bad Flu) then after that it was purely a cosmetic thing, and the itching wasn`t as bad as I was told it would be either, so I guess it`s all dependant on the individual in many cases. the tiny scars can get quite deep though

... that is all very rare though.

 

and yeah, it does vary between different people.

it`s not as rare as you`de think, although it IS most likely to occur in older people than younger ones.

 

the Vaccine against chicken pox IS more helpfull than the natural way in this instance however

Shingles only occurs in people with AIDS or a people with an immune system suppressed for other reasons though doesn't it?

no, not at all sadly, it can happen to anyone that`s had chicken pox once

 

have a look at the CDC website though, it`ll tell you more (alot more than I can) and give you facts better than my memory serves me

 

I`m fairly sure I`m right though, but stand to be corrected if I`m not )

one of the control and preventive measures of chicken pox is to stop those traditional parties......where is ethics in spreading a disease among children....

one of the control and preventive measures of chicken pox is to stop those traditional parties......where is ethics in spreading a disease among children....

 

it is more severe when you are an adult. give the kids an immunity. i don't see what is unethical about it.

It's unethical because you could just have a vaccine that's totally harmless.

not totally harmless. vaccines are known to give people the disease they are protecting against.

Not when they're done properly. Vaccines use "dead" copies of the virus. (even though viruses aren't even "alive")

The smallpox vaccine is a different example: The original vaccine was a dose of cowpox still alive. You got cowpox, but it wouldn't kill you.

few children die of chickenpox. adults are a different story.

How many adult die of chickenpox each year then??

 

Back up those statements. I would guess that it would kill more infants than adults. Gonna search now.

 

EDIT:

http://www.cdc.gov/nip/events/niiw/pastPDF/SampleOpEdChickenpox.pdf

 

~100 deaths in 1995, 40% occur in children under 10, 55% in adults over 20, so that means 5% in 10-20 year olds. Considering that there is a larger age range, ie. 20-80 yrs say, thats 55% for a 60 year spread of the population, compared with 40% in a 10 year spread. Looking at it this way I'd say children are more likely to die from it, ie less population in a smaller age range but slightly less percentage of total deaths = higher chance of death.

 

Hehe stats are great, you can prove almost anything if you just interpret them in the right way. I'm not so sure how reliable the source is though, its for the national immunisation program, but I bet a drug company has shares in it (I'm such a cynic), I wouldn't trust them, but I take them as fairly accurate.

guess what, you aren't including the fact that more children get it than adults