Remember the 'pox parties' of the 80s when parents would host a get-together to purposely expose their children to the virus?
But, just like the 1980s, a vaccine for the pox has largely rendered those days to the past, only to re-emerge with a new virus in a new century.
So, is the ability to control the timing and exposure worth the risk of a Covid party? Especially when there's a safe and effective vaccine already available?
Dr Morgan Edwards, anaesthetist from the Waitematā DHB, told Seven Sharp the idea is "risky on quite a few levels and basically just a really terrible idea".
She said even the chicken pox parties were not a good idea because people still became sick with it. It also created a risk of developing shingles in later life.
Morgan said planned exposure to Covid-19 offered no control.
"You don't know for sure if you're going to catch it, especially if you've had one or two doses of the vaccine.
"You are likely to be infectious before you develop any symptoms and who knows who you could be exposing during that time - you know vulnerable children through to the elderly," Morgan said.
She said a planned exposure before a wedding, for example, could end up "backfiring immensely".
"If enough people do this, then we could end up with a situation like in Australia where we end up with supply chain issues, food and beverage issues, wait staff issues. It has effects right across all parts of society," Morgan said.
"The best way to have some kind of control is to get vaccinated, is to get boosted, it's the safest option and gives you the immunity people are wanting with the parties, but with much, much lower risk."
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