chickenpox news stories on Newser

Parents, Beware of 'Chicken Pox Lollipops'

Mark Russell — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 08:26:05 CST

Fears of immunizations have gotten so bad—and so bizarre —that some people would rather order a lollipop licked by someone infected with chicken pox, thinking it might "naturally" create an immunity to the common childhood disease , than get the normal chicken pox vaccine. Unsurprisingly, medical officials are warning against...

US Scratches Out Scourge of Chickenpox

Michael Foreman — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 19:20:05 CDT

Thirteen years after the introduction of a vaccine, chickenpox has virtually disappeared among American children. The virus that causes the itchy disease is now so rare that parents and physicians alike have difficulty recognizing it, the Chicago Tribune reports. New research reveals a 75% drop in pox-related hospitalizations over the...

POX STRIKES BACK

J. Kelman — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 10:02:45 CDT

Doctors now recommend that kids get a second dose of chickenpox vaccine, but a lot of wary parents are balking. A recent study concluded that the longer patients had gone since getting the first dose, the more likely they were to contract the pox, and the more likely that it...