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Varicella vaccine decreased incidence of herpes zoster infection
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Varicella vaccination decreased the incidence of vaccine-strain herpes zoster in children, according to recent study findings.
“Wild type virus caused half of [the herpes zoster] cases among vaccinated children,” Sheila Weinmann, PhD, MPH, of the Center for Health Research at Kaiser Permanente Northwest, and colleagues wrote in the study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. “A higher [herpes zoster] incidence among vaccinated than unvaccinated 1- to 2-year-olds has not been previously reported. Our study also suggests that vaccine-strain and wild-type [varicella-zoster virus] may be recombining rarely in some subjects.”
The study included 322 children aged younger than 18 years with a herpes zoster (HZ) diagnosis from May 2005 to September 2009.
Researchers found varicella zoster virus (VZV) in 82% of participants. They included 84% wild-type; 15% vaccine-strain; and 1% possible vaccine-wild-type recombinant. Of the 118 vaccinated patients, VZV was detected in 70% of children, 52% of which were wild-type. Overall, participants who were vaccinated had a 79% lower incidence of HZ than unvaccinated participants (48 vs. 230 per 100,000 person years; P<.001).
“This population-based study provides more evidence that childhood varicella vaccination reduces HZ risk,” researchers wrote. “HZ incidence due to vaccine-strain VZV was lower than that due to wild-type VZV. The potential for vaccine-strain VZV reactivation at younger ages and clinical characteristics of HZ among one- and two-dose varicella vaccine recipients remain important areas for research. Ongoing monitoring of HZ incidence will be critical for understanding the varicella vaccination program’s impact on HZ epidemiology.”
Disclosure: The study was funded in part by CDC.
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