These recommendations represent the first statement by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on the use of live, attenuated varicella virus vaccine--VARIVAX--manufactured by Merck and Company, Inc. and licensed in March 1995 for use in healthy persons > or = 12 months of age. In addition to presenting information regarding vaccine, this statement updates previous recommendatio...

Five months after 2 siblings were immunized with varicella vaccine, 1 developed zoster. Two weeks later the second sibling got a mild case of chicken pox. Virus isolated from the latter was found to be vaccine type. Thus, the vaccine strain was transmitted from the vaccinee with zoster to his sibling. Vaccinees who later develop zoster must be considered contagious. varicella-zoster, zoster, va...

To determine vaccine effectiveness (VE), a varicella outbreak in a highly vaccinated day-care center (DCC) population in Pennsylvania was investigated. In Pennsylvania, proof of immunity is required for children >or=12 months old for DCC enrollment. Questionnaires were administered to parents of children who had attended the DCC continuously during the study period (1 November 1999-9 April 2000...

In countries where routine varicella vaccination is implemented, it is usually given at the same age as that recommended for measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination. A combined multivalent measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV) vaccine would offer the convenience of a single injection and facilitate implementation of varicella vaccination into routine childhood immunisation schedules. We evalua...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE This study was designed to compare the change in complications of varicella infection in children requiring hospitalization before and after varicella vaccine introduction at a tertiary care hospital in southern Taiwan. METHODS Based on the results of a retrospective study conducted in the pre-vaccine era (1988-1998), a second study was carried out from 1998-2004 (post-...

OBJECTIVE To examine trends in varicella and herpes zoster (HZ) hospitalization following the availability and subsequent National Immunization Programme funding of one-dose varicella vaccination in Australia. METHODS Varicella vaccination coverage for children born between 2001 and 2009 was obtained from the Australian Childhood Immunization Register. Principal or any coded varicella or HZ h...

Live attenuated varicella vaccine is recommended for healthy individuals who are susceptible to varicella. Although the vaccine is safe, effective, and used worldwide, serious adverse events have been reported, mainly in immunocompromised patients who subsequently recovered. Here, we describe the fatality of an immunocompromised patient who received the varicella vaccine. His medical history pr...

BACKGROUND Exposure of immunocompromised children to varicella often requires postexposure prophylaxis. Exposures requiring this management are often not recognized. Varicella can be a severe disease when it occurs in immunocompromised children, in spite of antiviral therapy. Varicella exposure and varicella in these children can also disrupt scheduled therapy for their underlying illness. Both...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Prior to 2004, the mass immunization program in Taiwan did not include varicella vaccine; however, parents could have their children vaccinated by the self-payment option. METHODS In April 2002, we distributed 1271 questionnaires to the caregivers of children aged 1 to 6 years in Taoyuan county, Taiwan, to survey the status of vaccination rate against varicella, parenta...

In 1995, the United States became the first country to implement a Universal Varicella Vaccination Program. Several questions remain: Is the varicella (chickenpox) vaccine needed? Is it cost effective as a routine immunization for all susceptible children? Or is it more beneficial for the disease to remain endemic so that adults may receive periodic exogenous exposures (boosts) that help suppre...