Varicella paediatric hospitalisations in Belgium: a 1-year national survey
نویسندگان
چکیده
BACKGROUND Varicella universal vaccination (UV) has been implemented in many countries for several years. Nevertheless, varicella UV remains debated in Europe and few data are available on the real burden of infection. We assessed the burden of varicella in Belgium through analysis of hospitalised cases during a 1-year period. METHODS Data on children admitted to hospital with varicella were collected through a national network from November 2011 to October 2012. Inclusion criteria were either acute varicella or related complications up to 3 weeks after the rash. RESULTS Participation of 101 hospitals was obtained, covering 97.7% of the total paediatric beds in Belgium. 552 children were included with a median age of 2.1 years. Incidence of paediatric varicella hospitalisations reached 29.5/10(5) person-years, with the highest impact among those 0-4 years old (global incidence and odds of hospitalisation: 79/10(5) person-years and 1.6/100 varicella cases, respectively). Only 14% (79/552) of the cohort had an underlying chronic condition. 65% (357/552) of children had ≥1 complication justifying their admission, 49% were bacterial superinfections and 10% neurological disorders. Only a quarter of children (141/552) received acyclovir. Incidence of complicated hospitalised cases was 19/10(5) person-years. Paediatric intensive care unit admission and surgery were required in 4% and 3% of hospitalised cases, respectively. Mortality among Belgian paediatric population was 0.5/10(6) and fatality ratio 0.2% among our cohort. CONCLUSIONS Varicella demonstrated a substantial burden of disease in Belgian children, especially among the youngest. Our thorough nationwide study, run in a country without varicella UV, offers data to support varicella UV in Belgium.
منابع مشابه
Impact of universal varicella vaccination on 1-year-olds in Uruguay: 1997–2005
OBJECTIVE Varicella vaccination was introduced at the end of 1999 into the Uruguayan immunisation schedule for children aged 12 months. Varilrix (Oka strain; GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals) has been the only vaccine used since then and coverage has been estimated to exceed 90% since the start of the universal varicella vaccination programme. We assessed the impact of the Uruguayan varicella vaccin...
متن کاملVaricella routine vaccination and the effects on varicella epidemiology – results from the Bavarian Varicella Surveillance Project (BaVariPro), 2006-2011
BACKGROUND In 2004, routine varicella vaccination was recommended in Germany for children 11-14 months of age with one dose, and since 2009, with a second dose at 15-23 months of age. The effects on varicella epidemiology were investigated. METHODS Data on varicella vaccinations, cases and complications were collected from annual parent surveys (2006-2011), monthly paediatric practice surveil...
متن کاملTrends in hospitalisations associated with paediatric burns.
BACKGROUND In the United States, burns are the third leading cause of unintentional injury death in children aged 1-14 years, accounting for more than 600 deaths per year in children aged 0-19 years. OBJECTIVE To describe trends in paediatric burn hospitalisations in the United States and provide national benchmarks for state and regional comparisons. METHODS Analysis of existing data (1993...
متن کاملShould the UK introduce a universal childhood varicella vaccination programme?
Primary varicella infection (chickenpox) is common in the UK with over threequarters of parents reporting a history of chickenpox in their children by 5 years of age. Following primary infection, the varicella zoster virus (VZV) remains dormant in the dorsal root ganglia and reactivates in later life following a decline in cell-mediated immunity to cause herpes zoster or shingles (HZ). Although...
متن کامل1129Varicella in Belgium: a National One year Prospective Survey
Background. Varicella is a worldwide endemic infection self-limited in the vast majority of cases. However, serious complications are described in otherwise healthy people that add to a significant societal burden of disease. In many countries, varicella universal mass vaccination (vUMV) has now been implemented for years. Nevertheless, vUMV remains debated in Europe and few data are available ...
متن کامل