Chickenpox Parties Resurface in Some Parenting Groups Online

Before a chickenpox vaccine was available, some parents arranged for their children to contract the virus through direct exposure. The practice aimed to have children experience the illness at younger ages when complications were considered less likely.

Ciara DiVita recalled being taken to an infectious friend at age 3 and later attending a gathering with her cousin who had blisters. She said the chain of exposure may have continued through additional play dates.

A 2018 analysis found cases declined sharply in the United States, Germany, and Australia after universal childhood vaccination programs began. U.S. cases since the vaccine's introduction. Hospitalization reductions reached 94 percent in Uruguay, 93 percent in Canada, and more than 80 percent in Spain following similar programs.

The varicella-zoster virus still poses risks for people who cannot receive the vaccine.

TikTok creator Hannah Grabau Kugel referenced a social media post joking about hosting a chickenpox party. Last year, the owner of a UK children's activity center stopped one such event after being alerted, according to BBC reporting. Maureen Tierney of Creighton University said older patients face higher risks of severe outcomes including pneumonia.

Monica Abdelnour at Phoenix Children's Hospital noted parents previously viewed the gatherings as a way to manage an expected infection. Jill Morgan at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy stated that parties left uncertainty about which children would develop complications.

The World Health Organization has warned that vaccine hesitancy can increase disease rates globally.