Diseased suckers and pox parties

Parents generally go to any length to keep their children healthy. But some fearful of vaccines have opted to help their children get sick instead.

Tainted lollipops, Q-tips, clothing, rags and other vehicles carrying the spit or body fluids of children infected with contagious viruses have popped up all over the Internet, including popular websites such as Facebook and eBay.

One batch of chicken pox lollipops in Nashville, Tenn. reportedly sold for $50 a pop.

Apparently, you can have some chicken pox-laden pops or other infected goods shipped to your door after a simple online transaction. It’s just like buying a sweater. “I have PayPal and plenty of spit and suckers,” one of the Facebook messages advertised.

In addition to these so-called natural immunity boosters, parents have conspired to host and plan “pox parties” for their children. Websites such as Chickenpoxparties.com, Mothering.com and Craigslist have served to connect parents with others who may have some sick kids.

Sick parties, as they are sometimes called, gained popularity in the 1980s before the chicken pox vaccine came out in 1995. Anywhere between 100 and 150 children died every year from the chicken pox virus before the vaccine became available, according to the Centers for Disease Control.