# Do people actually throw pox parties?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-actually-throw-pox-parties/496314>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 13, 2009, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-actually-throw-pox-parties/496314 "2009-05-13T17:57:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-actually-throw-pox-parties/496314/41 "2009-05-15T00:22:06Z")

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In the UK, as in Ireland, vaccinations are provided in certain cases; healthcare workers, siblings of children with weakened immune systems, etc.

The NHS cites - [link](http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1032.aspx?CategoryID=62&SubCategoryID=63) - a fear that the number of shingles cases will increase as a reason for not providing routine chickenpox vaccinations to children. Basically, all those infected kiddies running about act as booster shots for the adults.

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**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-actually-throw-pox-parties/496314/42 "2009-05-15T15:14:52Z")

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> [@foolsguinea](#):
>
> And for some diseases, like polio, it’s an even bigger deal.

It wasn’t that long ago…

My mom told me stories about being her parents keeping her couped up inside all summer when she was a kid because polio was going around…

It sounded like another world.

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