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Two-dose chickenpox vaccination program reduces US outbreaks by 78%
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A routine two-dose varicella vaccination program launched in 2007 has drastically reduced the number of chickenpox outbreaks in the United States, a recent study reported.
“Although varicella outbreaks have declined during the two-dose varicella era, they continue to pose a challenge to manage and control,” Jessica Leung, MPH, of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at CDC, and colleagues wrote. “Ongoing surveillance is important to continue monitoring the impact of the varicella vaccination program and the epidemiology of varicella outbreaks to better target control and prevention strategies.”
The researchers analyzed varicella outbreak data from nine states — including California, Maryland, Minnesota, Texas, Vermont and West Virginia that reported results each year — between 2005 and 2012. Specific varicella outbreak data, such as the number of outbreak-related cases, patient age, and vaccination status of patients, were collected.
There were 929 varicella outbreaks reported by the six states during the study period. Data showed that the yearly number of outbreaks declined by 78% from the start to the end of the period (147 vs. 33; P = .0001).
Most outbreaks (95%) reported were from schools, which also followed the same downward trend. Varicella outbreaks declined from 97% in 2005-2006 to 89% in 2010-12. Likewise, 65% of outbreak-related cases of chickenpox were associated with children aged 5 to 9 years. The amount of cases in this population decreased from 76% in 2005-2006 to 45% in 2010-12.
“CDC encourages state health departments to report annual varicella outbreak,” Leung and colleagues wrote. “With additional increases in two-dose varicella vaccination coverage and implementation of two-dose school entry requirements, varicella incidence and outbreaks in the U.S. should continue to decrease.” – by David Costill
Disclosure: Leung reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.
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