Doctors say deliberately giving children swine flu may not be wise
For many years, parents have deliberately exposed their children to playmates with chickenpox in order to allow them to have the once-only disease at a convenient time.
Now, family website
mumsnet.com says there are online discussions between parents about whether or not to try to ensure their children have immunity before the main flu season starts in the winter.
"We have anecdotal evidence on the discussion boards that these parties are taking place," Geraldine Holman told Sky News Online.
"Parents are concerned and unsure about what to do in the best interest of their kids."
But Dr Richard Jarvis, chairman of the British Medical Association's public health committee, says it would not be wise to take the same approach with
swine flu.
"I think parents would want to take into account that the flu - although this particular strain is relatively mild for the most part - is something that will knock people off their feet for a few days.
"We are seeing appreciable morbidity, severe side-effects and sadly the occasional death. My advice to parents would be to take this into account before taking any child along to a flu party."
Dr Jarvis added: "We haven't picked up any good evidence to suggest that it is happening.
"In fact, we have picked up quite a lot of evidence that the opposite is happening - people are scared, justifiably, and children are being removed from school when there isn't any need to actually do that."
However, he insisted there was no need for parents to panic.
"It certainly isn't something we should be scared about, there is absolutely no cause for panic. The UK is extremely well prepared for this and the response so far has been extremely good.
"We are now moving from what we term containment - which is pressing very hard on all known cases so we can prevent transmission - to outbreak control and treatment.
"Obviously the numbers are going to increase. This is something which nobody has immunity to, so large proportions of the population are going to get it at some point."
His warning came the day after news emerged of the first death of a child with swine flu in the UK.
Since Friday, 1,604 swine flu cases have been confirmed in England, taking the country's total to 4,968 and the UK's total so far to 5,937.
