Before immunization with the varicella (chickenpox) vaccine became commonplace in the United States, between 47 and 138 people - many of them young children - died every year due to complications associated with the disease. In 1995, doctors recommended that every child receive the varicella vaccine to prevent the disease, and as a result, by the year 2000 the number of chickenpox cases had declined by as much as 84%. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, investigated whether the universal varicella vaccine prevented deaths, as well.
Researchers calculated the number of deaths due to varicella for the years between 1990 and 2001. They also noted the age of each person who died due to varicella infection.
Overall, 1,465 people died from varicella infection or from related causes between 1990 and 1998. From 1990 to 1994 there were an average 145 varicella deaths per year, but between 1999 and 2001, varicella deaths dropped to only 66 per year.
From 1994 to 2001, children accounted for 37% of deaths associated with varicella infection, and infants had the highest rates of death during the entire study period. Here's how the varicella vaccine affected death rates from chickenpox in children.
- When 1999-2001 death rates were compared to 1990-1994 rates, the greatest reduction in death occurred among children between 1 and 4 years of age. In this age group, death rates declined 92%.
- In children 5 to 9 years of age, death rates declined by 89%.
- In infants under a year old death rates dropped 78% during the same time period.
What This Means to You: The varicella vaccine is not only extremely effective at preventing chickenpox - it also helps prevent deaths associated with the infection. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that the varicella vaccine be routinely given to children between 12 and 18 months of age. Talk to your child's doctor if you have any questions about the safety or effectiveness of recommended vaccinations.
Source: Huong Q. Nguyen, MPH; Aisha O. Jumaan, PhD, MPH; Jane F. Seward, MB, BS, MPH; New England Journal of Medicine, February 3, 2005
Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: February 2005
