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Chickenpox Vaccine Increases Risk for Shingles
Vaccinating children against chickenpox (varicella) could increase the risk
that adults would develop shingles, a painful blistering rash that is
potentially dangerous in the elderly.
Researchers from Britain's Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS), said
that thousands of elderly people could also die from the complications of
shingles.
They called for a re-evaluation of the policy of mass chickenpox vaccination
that has been introduced already in the United States and is imminent in
many other countries. In 1995, the chickenpox vaccine was approved for use
in children over 1 year of age in the US and is now required for school
entry.
After a bout of naturally-occuring chickenpox, the varicella zoster virus
remains dormant in the body and may reactivate decades later to cause
shingles, a painful rash that typically strikes chickenpox veterans after
the age of 60.
The researchers showed that adults living with children have more exposure
to the virus that causes chickenpox and enjoy high levels of protection
against shingles.
Being close to children means that adults are exposed to the virus, which
acts like a booster vaccine against shingles, they believe. But if all
children were vaccinated, adults who have had chickenpox would no longer be
protected against developing shingles.
The researchers worked out a mathematical model that predicts that
eliminating chickenpox in a country the size of the United States would
prevent 186 million cases of the disease and 5,000 deaths over 50 years.
However they said it could also result in 21 million more cases of shingles
and 5,000 deaths.
The PHLS said in a statement it was working out what the impact might be of
introducing a chickenpox vaccine in Britain. "As more evidence becomes
available, it will be shared with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and
Immunization, which advises the Department of Health on the immunization
schedule.
JAMA May 1, 2002;287(17):2211:
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