Chicken pox trends concerning doctors - KFDA - NewsChannel 10 / Amarillo News, Weather, Sports

Amarillo, TX - Chicken pox are becoming more rare in the medical community, but some parents are still trying to make sure their children get it.

Most have heard of "Pox Parties" when you have your child stay with an infected child to get the illness... But now it is going even further with "chicken pox lollipops" when a sick child shares candy with a healthy child.

Parents say it is to build their child's immunity but medical officials say it is risky.

"The primary risk associated with chicken pox is just a generalized viral infection that can last anywhere from 5 to 10 days and the risk to the community of chicken pox is that it is highly contagious," said Dr. Beverly Nixon-Lewis.

Along with being highly contagious and uncomfortable, Doctor Beverly Nixon-Lewis says chicken pox can have a lasting effect on a person, and even be deadly.

"There's plenty of other adverse reactions associated with giving your child chicken pox and the potential for developing shingles, later on in life," added Dr. Nixon-Lewis.

There is a vaccine for chicken pox but some parents refuse it because of concerns.

Melissa Aguilera says after seeing two of her children suffer with chicken pox, she had her others vaccinated.

"Chicken pox is really hard on them, they get really sick and they get such a high fever and they are in so much pain that I didn't want my other two to get it so I gave them the vaccine, to not get it," said Aguilera.

Doctor Nixon-Lewis says the vaccine carries far less risk than the chicken pox themselves.

"The most common risk is local inflammation, like soreness or redness at the site of the immunization, a little bit of fever and very few children may develop a few little spots on their body," said Dr. Nixon-Lewis