Chickenpox
Chickenpox is a common childhood illness that manifests as an itchy rash of spots and flu-like symptoms. Usually no treatment is necessary, but it's extremely contagious, so you might be less than popular if there's an outbreak at kindergarten and your child turns out to be patient zero. It used to be that you didn't have a choice when it came to chickenpox; if you were lucky, you got it at an early age and in a mild form that didn't cause any serious damage; after that, you had lifelong immunity and hoped that you weren't one of the ten percent to develop shingles later in life.
The Varivax vaccine became available in 1995, and as a growing number of states require either proof of infection or vaccination for enrollment in schools, parents are presented with a new dilemma — to vaccinate against a disease that will most likely be benign (but sometimes isn't), or to avoid the small risks inherent in vaccination — and the larger risks inherent if the vaccine's immunity wears off when your child is an adult — and actively encourage your child to catch chickenpox.
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