Expanded guidelines for use of varicella-zoster immune globulin.

Zoster immune globulin (ZIG) can prevent clinical chickenpox in exposed, susceptible, normal chilthen.’ In a collaborative study2 in which 15 susceptible children at high risk received ZIG within three days following exposure, there were no deaths and only one child developed progressive vanicella. At that time, a mortality of 7% and a rate of progressive varicella of 30% were reported in similar children who failed to receive prophylaxis.3 At the present time, vanicella may be even more hazardous for children with leukemia, possibly because of the use of more intensive therapy.