Back in year 2011, the news of a lady in Nashville, USA selling chicken pox lollipop on Facebook was exposed to the public. She was also selling other things like Q-tips and cottons that has been contaminated by Varicella zoster virus (VZV). The idea is like an extended version of ‘Chicken pox party’ – which was once popular (and probably still is) among parents due to the fact that there was no vaccine on the market until 1987 in Korea and Japan, and until 1995 in the US. The chicken pox symptoms gets worse when the first infection happens with an older age which results in the idea of ‘Why not have the chicken pox when younger?’ Such idea popularised chicken pox parties where parents bring children together when one of them has caught the virus to voluntarily infect their children with chicken pox.
Although whether varicella zoster viruses can survive the transportation is questionable. From a design’s point of view, the idea of having a virus infected lollipop selling on the internet like a normal sweater is fascinating which at the same time make the inoculation / vaccination process pleasurable for children and at ease for the parents, saving the hassle of making appointment with doctors, entering the unfriendly, cold, environment of hospital, and disguises the ‘medical’ element with daily objects – a lollipop.