It has been estimated that varicella complications occur in 5% to 10% of healthy children. Complications include skin and soft tissue infections, group A streptococcal infections, otitis media, pneumonia, and encephalitis. Between 0.2% and 1.5% of Canadian children with varicella are admitted to hospital. Maternal varicella during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy can lead to congeni...

Because of the severe complications that may result from varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection following renal transplantation (Tx), transplanted varicella-susceptible children exposed to varicella are typically given varicella zoster immunoglobulin (VZIG) as prophylaxis or are admitted and treated with parenteral acyclovir if VZIG prophylaxis fails. As both VZIG and hospitalization are costly...

CONTEXT Several varicella vaccines are available worldwide. Countries with a varicella vaccination program use 1- or 2-dose schedules. OBJECTIVE We examined postlicensure estimates of varicella vaccine effectiveness (VE) among healthy children. DATA SOURCES Systematic review and descriptive and meta-analysis of Medline, Embase, Cochrane libraries, and CINAHL databases for reports published ...

CONTEXT Apparent second episodes of varicella are reported in immunocompetent hosts, but laboratory confirmation of prior immune status has rarely been possible. OBJECTIVE To evaluate adult patients with varicella who claimed to have had previous varicella to determine whether they had true second episodes or primary cases with inaccurate clinical histories. DESIGN Adult subjects with varic...

Whether reexposure of varicella-immune persons to varicella-zoster virus would protect against or predispose to development of zoster was analyzed. The rate of zoster in 511 leukemic recipients of varicella vaccine who had 1 or > 1 dose of varicella vaccine and in those who did or did not have a household exposure to varicella was determined. A Kaplan-Meier life-table analysis revealed that the...

OBJECTIVES The implementation of a routine childhood varicella vaccination program in the United States in 1995 has resulted in a dramatic decline in varicella morbidity and mortality. Although disease incidence has decreased, outbreaks of varicella continue to be reported, increasingly in highly vaccinated populations. In 2000, a varicella vaccination requirement was introduced for kindergarte...

Varicella usually is a self-limited disease but sometimes can result in severe complications and death. Although infants, adults, and immunocompromised persons are at increased risk for severe disease, before varicella vaccine was introduced in 1995, the majority of hospitalizations and deaths from varicella occurred among healthy persons aged <20 years. Introduction of varicella vaccine has su...

BACKGROUND Varicella outbreaks occur frequently in closed environments such as those of militaries. This paper compares the economic outcomes of varicella vaccination in enlisted servicemen without prior reported varicella infection or vaccination. METHODS We analyzed the economic outcomes of a varicella vaccination program on all enlisted servicemen without prior reported varicella infection...

BACKGROUND Varicella is generally considered a mild disease. Disease burden is not well known and country-level estimation is challenging. As varicella disease is not notifiable, notification criteria and rates vary between countries. In general, existing surveillance systems do not capture cases that do not seek medical care, and most are affected by underreporting and underascertainment. We a...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Varicella has an important impact on public health, especially before the introduction of the varicella vaccine. This study investigated the epidemiological characteristics and disease burden of varicella during the introduction of the varicella vaccine for mass vaccination in Taiwan. METHODS The International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modificat...