Why did the chickenpox cross the Covid road? To get to the Omicron side

THE Knickerbocker,a former New York City magazine, first published this most iconic riddle. In 1847 the now famous chicken was introduced: "Why does a chicken cross the street? Are you out of town? Do you give it up? Well, then, because it wants to get on the other side."

The "joke" is meant to be an example of anti-humour and therefore intentionally not funny, a state of mind to which most of us can likely relate thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic.

There are lessons to be learned and questions to be raised by examining the history of chickenpox (varicella), a once-common childhood disease in certain parts of the world and the vaccine developed to treat it.