The memory is etched in Ciara DiVita's mind like a particularly uncomfortable night: the relentless itch, the oven mitts and the cousin who got chickenpox too. Now 30, she remembers being taken to catch the virus from an infectious friend in what would become known as a 'chickenpox party'. Chickenpox parties, a relic of childhood for many Gen Xers and millennials, involve deliberately exposing uninfected children to the varicella-zoster virus to ensure they contract it before adolescence.

A lot has changed since DiVita's day. The chickenpox vaccine, introduced in the 1990s, has dramatically reduced exposure rates. In temperate countries like the UK and US, around 90% of children used to catch the virus before adolescence. Today’s kids are much less likely to be exposed at school or on the playground.

Despite vaccines, chickenpox parties have not disappeared entirely. Before vaccination was routine, parents would swap advice about oatmeal baths and calamine lotion, arranging playdates when one child was thought to be infectious. While these gatherings were never officially recommended by doctors, they reflected a pragmatic approach: if it’s going to happen anyway, might as well do so in a controlled environment.

Chickenpox parties might seem quaint now, but the serious risks are very real. Around three in every 1,000 infected children experience severe complications such as pneumonia or encephalitis. The vaccine has seen dramatic drops in cases and hospitalizations worldwide, with Uruguay reporting a 94% reduction among young children.

For immunocompromised individuals who can’t be vaccinated, the virus remains a significant risk. It can also lie dormant for decades before resurfacing as shingles, potentially causing chronic nerve pain and increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.