VIRGINIA BEACH -- Though chickenpox vaccines have been available for years, some children still get the disease, and some parents expose their children on purpose.

"Chickenpox parties" are a controversial method of exposing children to the virus on purpose. Chickenpox is a mild illness for most, but can have serious complications for children and disastrous results for pregnant women.

Seven-year-old Hope Sandlin was never vaccinated for chickenpox and received an exemption to enter school. Now, she’s one of eight children in her second grade class at Old Donation Center to come down with the chickenpox in recent weeks.

Her case was not by accident; she was intentionally exposed to another sick child.

“I also took her to one of the classmates’ homes in the afternoon and had them share food and share drinks hoping that Hope would get chickenpox.”

One of Hope’s classmates, Claire, was vaccinated as a baby. Not believing in chickenpox parties, her mother had the seven-year-old get a booster shot last week.

“I just don’t want her to have chickenpox,” said Claire’s mother, Mimi Beard. “I don’t want to give her misery if she doesn’t need to have it.”

The shot is what most pediatricians recommend, not chickenpox parties.

“It’s better to get the vaccine than to get chicken pox, because if you get chickenpox, there’s no saying how severe or how mild the case is going to be,” said Dr. Harvey Kagan of Pediatric Specialists.

Hope missed seven days of school but her mother, who had a terrible case as an adult, doesn't regret the decision to expose her at a chickenpox party.

"I am thrilled for Hope,” said Sandlin. “Once you get it you're conferred lifelong immunity."

She admits if she worked outside the home taking seven days off of work to care for hope would not have been "do-able".

Virginia Beach Schools confirm two current outbreaks of chickenpox at Old Donation Center and Kemps Landing Magnet School.

In Hope and Claire's class of second graders six of the eight children contracting chickenpox received the vaccine as infants.