Chicken Pox Parties?!?

As I sit here typing, I’m reminded that I have two of my boys that will have birthdays during the month of November, and I need to make their well child checkup appointments for them.  If you’re like me, a mother of multiples, you try and get all of them in on one day so that you don’t have to make more than one trip to the pediatrician’s office, right?  Most of the time, I’m successful at getting this done because our pediatrician is very considerate and also he knows how busy ALL three of my boys are and probably would like to just get them in an out all at the same time.  I don’t blame him, my boys are something else.

            Usually during these well child check-ups, they’re giving physicals, addressing concerns we have, checking weight, and giving vaccinations.  Yes, I said it! Vaccinations.  More and more, parents are opting not to get their little ones vaccinated. Personally, I only know of one parent that has not allowed her child to be vaccinated.  However, the number of non-vacc parents has increased and I was shocked to find out why.

            Since the whole line that went around about vaccines causing autism has been proven to be false, parents are saying now that they don’t think that vaccines are necessary.  Like, who are these people and where are they so I can keep my kids away from their kids.  Okay, okay, maybe I’m overreacting and being judgmental here, and that’s not what I want to do.  However, when I hear about a Facebook group that was started to get unvaccinated children infected with the chicken pox here in South Carolina, I had to scratch my head.   Who sets up infestation parties?  It sounds sickening.  I’ve had the chicken pox before, because my big head brother gave them to me, and it was not fun.  We also didn’t have a vaccine for it back in the early 90s because it was not available until 1995, but I am sure my mom would’ve made sure that we had been vaccinated. 

            Chicken pox is highly contagious and in some of the worst cases, it can cause death.  Who would want that intentionally for their child? This is why I don’t let my kids stay over their friend’s house unless I am a personal friend of the parents or they are a family member.  I mean I have other reasons to for not letting them sleep over at other people house too…I don’t trust many people with my most prized possessions, but that’s another blog post, for another day.  However, parents talk to me, are you for or against vaccinations? If you are against vaccines, why and do you inform other parents? Are you planning to attend any chicken pox parties? No judgement, just wanting to understand.