Effect of US varicella vaccination of varicella mortality

January 01, 0001

Effect of US varicella vaccination of varicella mortality

Varicella vaccination has been implemented in the United States since 1995. These US researchers updated the analysis of US varicella mortality to include the first twelve years since the introduction of the vaccine. They utilized data from Mortality Multiple Cause-of-Death records from the US National Center for Health Statistics.

The researchers found: "During the 12 years of the mostly 1-dose US varicella vaccination program, the annual average mortality rate for varicella listed as the underlying cause declined 88%, from 0.41 per million population in 1990-1994 to 0.05 per million population in 2005-2007. The decline occurred in all age groups, and there was an extremely high reduction among children and adolescents younger than 20 years (97%) and among subjects younger than 50 years overall (96%). In the last 6 years analyzed (2002-2007), a total of 3 deaths per age range were reported among children aged 1 to 4 and 5 to 9 years, compared with an annual average of 13 and 16 deaths, respectively, during the prevaccine years."

The researchers concluded: "The impressive decline in varicella deaths can be directly attributed to successful implementation of the 1-dose vaccination program. With the current 2-dose program, there is potential that these most severe outcomes of a vaccine-preventable disease could be eliminated."

The varicella vaccine appears to be particularly effective at reducing mortality from varicella infection

For the full abstract, click here.

Pediatrics 128(2):214-220, August 2011 © 2011 American Academy of Pediatrics
Near Elimination of Varicella Deaths in the US After Implementation of the Vaccination Program. Mona Marin, John X. Zhang, Jane F. Seward.

Category: A. General/Unspecified. Keywords: varicella, vaccination, mortality, 1-dose, 2-dose, epidemiological study, journal watch.
Synopsis edited by Dr Paul Schaefer, Toledo, Ohio. Posted on Global Family Doctor 23 August 2011

Pearls are an independent product of the Cochrane primary care group and are meant for educational use and not to guide clinical care.

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