Case-based varicella (chickenpox) surveillance is important for monitoring the impact of the varicella vaccination program. In 2002, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) recommended that all states move toward case-based varicella surveillance by 2005; in 2003, varicella was made nationally notifiable. To ease the transition to case-based reporting, CSTE and CDC recommend...

OBJECTIVE One-dose varicella vaccination for children was introduced in the United States in 1995. In 2006, a second dose was recommended to further decrease varicella disease and outbreaks. We describe the impact of the 2-dose vaccination program on varicella incidence, severity, and outbreaks in 2 varicella active surveillance areas. METHODS We examined varicella incidence rates and disease...

OBJECTIVE Varicella breakthrough, the occurrence of varicella disease >42 days after vaccination, is indicative of vaccination failure. A sevenfold increased risk of breakthrough among vaccinated children with asthma was observed in a 1996 varicella outbreak in a child care center. More recent outbreak investigations have also identified age at vaccination as a potential risk factor for breakth...

BACKGROUND When varicella vaccine was licensed in the United States in 1995, there were concerns that childhood vaccination might increase the number of adolescents susceptible to varicella and shift disease toward older age groups where it can be more severe. METHODS We conducted a series of 5 cross-sectional studies in 1994 to 1995 (prevaccine), 2000, 2003, 2006, and 2009 in Kaiser Permanen...

to an affected household member. In healthy children, varicella usually does not cause serious complications. However, immunocompromised children and otherwise healthy adults are at increased risk for life-threatening complications of varicella such as pneumonia, encephalitis, and disseminated infection. Although <10% of all cases of varicella occur in adults, this age group accounts for 25-30%...

To increase efficiency in the prevention of varicella, this study conducted in-depth research to unravel the reasons for outbreak of epidemic varicella among people who had received single dosage of varicella vaccine. There were 1377 students out of total 1450, who were inoculated with single dosage of varicella vaccine (94.97%). Statistical analysis of probability of getting varicella during o...

Background: There is increasing evidence that herpes zoster (HZ) incidence rates among children and adults (aged <60 years) with a history of natural varicella are influenced primarily by the frequency of exogenous exposures, while asymptomatic endogenous reactivations help to cap the rate at approximately 550 cases/ 100,000 person-years when exogenous boosting becomes rare. The Antelope Valley...

background promoting varicella vaccination for military personnel and conscripts, as one of the susceptible and high-risk groups, is an important governmental approach in every society. the present study aimed to address the seroprevalence of this infection and its immunization level among iranian military conscripts. objectives this study was conducted to determine seroprevalence of varicella ...

INTRODUCTION Varicella in previously immunized individuals, known as "breakthrough varicella". While the majority of breakthrough cases are mild, some may be severe, requiring hospitalization in previously healthy children or children with an underlying condition. METHODS This report, as a part of the prospective national pediatric varicella hospitalizations study (including 29 centers, repre...

BACKGROUND It is unknown whether it is more cost-effective to test for varicella antibody or to immunize without testing in immigrant populations. The reliability of history of varicella disease is also unclear. METHODS The prevalences of varicella antibody in immigrant children from six regions of the world were used in a cost-effectiveness model to calculate the antibody prevalence above wh...