Special Studies Report 1996: Varicella Active Surveillance

Varicella vaccine, a live, attenuated strain of varicella-zoster virus, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in March 1995. In July 1996, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published its guidelines for prevention of varicella and recommended routine use of varicella vaccine for infants 12 to 18 months of age as well as for older susceptible individuals. The vaccine has generated controversy, concerning the questions of duration of immunity and a possible shift in incidence of varicella to older age groups, where morbidity and mortality are far more severe.