CONTEXT The introduction of the varicella vaccine as a routine pediatric immunization in the US, in 1995, provided an opportunity to assess factors associated with uptake of new vaccines in the member population of the Kaiser Permanente Northwest (KPNW) Health Plan. OBJECTIVE Identify factors associated with varicella vaccination in the KPNW population in the first five years after varicella ...

In temperate, industrialized countries, such as Canada, varicella is a common disease in childhood [1]. In tropical countries, for reasons that are not entirely clear, varicella occurs among young adults. Seroprevalence data from tropical regions suggest that up to 30% of individuals are susceptible to varicella at 20 years of age, and 5%–10% remain susceptible at 30 years of age [2, 3]. There ...

In 2006, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended that children routinely receive 2 varicella vaccine doses in place of the 1 dose previously recommended. This recommendation's initial impact on varicella epidemiology in Connecticut was assessed. Reported incidence and case-specific data were compared for 2005 and 2008. Varicella incidence decreased from 48.7 cases/100,000 p...

Varicella is common and highly contagious and affects nearly all susceptible children before adolescence. Progressive varicella syndrome is a severe complication of primary Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) infection, with visceral organ involvement, coagulopathy, severe hemorrhage, and continued vesicular lesion development. We report a rare case of progressive varicella syndrome with varicella gan...

Varicella zoster virus fetopathy occurs in infants after infection with varicella-zoster virus from mother during the fi rst two trimesters of pregnancy. The authors describe the case of a female infant, aged 4 months, which came under observation for neuro developmental delay for chronological age. Neurological exam, abnomalities detected on ophthalmologic examination, maternal history of gest...

Varicella (chickenpox) in pregnancy is unusual because most women of childbearing age are immune. It can, however, cause significant morbidity for the pregnant woman and in rare cases cause congenital varicella syndrome. The incidence of congenital varicella syndrome after maternal varicella during the first two trimesters is <1% across multiple cohort studies. Maternal infection in the third t...

Chicken pox (Varicella) infection is generally present in children and caused by Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV). There are quite a number of case reports of hypercoagulable state leading to deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and other thromboembolic sequelae following varicella induced auto antibodies to natural anticoagulants in children. But such a clinical entity is rarely seen in adults. Here we re...

OBJECTIVE To assess the effectiveness of the varicella vaccination program in Toscana after one dose of vaccine, in the birth cohorts 2008-2011. DESIGN Varicella vaccine effectiveness (VE) was calculated using the "screening method", based on vaccine coverage (VC) at 24 months and proportion of vaccinated subjects among varicella notified cases (PVC), verified through the Local Health Units' ...

Background. Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is highly infectious with potential to cause nosocomial outbreaks and healthcare workers (HCWs) are at risk. Universal serological investigation was seldom performed and effectiveness of varicella vaccination was unknown among HCWs. Methods. All employees of Changhua Christian Hospital (CCH), Changhua, Taiwan, were tested for anti-VZV antibodies and sero...

A 7 years old boy presenting with acute flaccid paralysis after Varicella zoster infection was diagnosed as having acute transverse myelitis on MRI. He recovered fully after treatment with intravenous corticosteroids and acyclovir. The occurrence of this condition during or following Varicella infection is uncommon. There are previously very few reported cases of post-Varicella acute transverse...