OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of universal early childhood vaccination against varicella on the reduction of its incidence in a state capital in southern Brazil. METHODS Official epidemiologic surveillance data from the SINAN database for the 1997-2007 period were used to evaluate the impact of varicella vaccination targeting all children < 2 years of age in Florianópolis (the capital city...

The molecular epidemiology of varicella-zoster virus in London, England, between 1971 and 1995 was examined by using two informative polymorphic markers, variable repeat region R5 and a BglI restriction site in gene 54. Viruses from 105 cases of chickenpox and 144 of zoster were typed. Two alleles of R5, A and B, were found at prevalences of 89 and 6%, respectively. No difference in allele freq...

The most compelling rationale for introducing universal vaccination against varicella was the predicted benefits to healthy children. Current evidence from the US experience indicates that these benefits are being realized. As is true for any new vaccine, implementation of such a program necessitates disease surveillance and modifications of the vaccine regimen as needed. In the case of VZV, th...

BACKGROUND Chicken pox, although a common infection among children, is rare in immunocompromised patients, particularly renal transplant recipients, and carries a very high incidence of morbidity and mortality There is little data on chickenpox in adult renal transplant recipients, although reports have suggested that it may follow a virulent course requiring frequent hospitalization, and in se...