Anti-vaccination parents holding chickenpox parties to deliberately infect children are "ill-informed and misguided".
That's the diagnosis from Australian Medical Association Queensland president Chris Zappala following reports anti-vaxxer parents were using social media to encourage so-called "pox parties".
"It is a worrying new trend. There is risk attached to these infections and it is completely unavoidable," Dr Zappala said on Sunday.
Dr Zappala said anti-vaccination parents were putting the community's health at risk given potentially serious complications can arise from illnesses like chickenpox.
Chances of allergic or other reactions from vaccines were negligible compared with the benefits of immunisation, he said.
"This is really the absolute opposite of what we want to see - we can do better," he said.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk echoed the physician's sentiments, calling the gatherings "alarming".
"I'm very concerned that people would be actively doing this when we know that vaccination is the right way to go," she said.
She encouraged all Queensland families to immunise their children and seek advice from their GP if unsure.
