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Oakland, Calif. – A new study by researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, published today in the journal, significantly reduces the risk of herpes zoster in children vaccinated against chicken pox (chickenpox). pediatrics.
Shingles, or herpes zoster, is caused by the varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated one million cases of shingles occur each year in the United States. However, pediatric zoster is a rare condition and the symptoms are usually less severe in children than in adults, who usually report a painful, burning, blistered rash.
"Since the introduction of the chickenpox vaccine, we know how effective it is in preventing children from getting this itch and this painful disease, but we've been trying to determine if the vaccine would also reduce the risk of chickenpox." shingles, "explained lead researcher Sheila Weinmann. , PhD. "Our results demonstrate that the vaccine actually reduces the risk of herpes zoster in children, highlighting the dual benefit of the varicella vaccine."
The study, funded by the CDC, examined the electronic health records of over 6.3 million children between 2003 and 2014, using data from 6 integrated health care organizations. About 50% of the children were vaccinated during part or all of the study period.
The researchers found that, overall, the risk of shingles is much lower in vaccinated children than in unvaccinated children. Specifically, they concluded that:
- In the 12 years of the study, the pediatric HZ rate decreased by 72% overall, along with the increase in the number of children vaccinated.
- The incidence of shingles was 78% lower in vaccinated children than in unvaccinated children.
- Rates for immunocompromised children, who were unable to receive vaccination, were 5 to 6 times higher than for those who were not immunocompromised.
"We looked at the incidence rates of shingles in general, the number of cases per 100,000 person-years, including by age and gender," Weinmann noted. Person-years refers to the type of measure that takes into account both the number of children included in the HZ study and the time that each child spent in the study during his / her 12 years d & # 39; studies. "We found the highest rates of shingles in the early years of the study, with a higher proportion of children, especially older children, not having received the varicella vaccine. "
The rate of herpes zoster in unvaccinated children increased from 2003 to 2007, then declined sharply until the end of the study period. Increased vaccination rates during the study period reduced the risk of contracting HZ overall for all children, including those who were not vaccinated. The decrease could also be related to the introduction of the second dose of vaccine starting in 2007, the incidence of herpes zoster being much lower in children who received the 2-dose vaccine rather than the 1-dose vaccine.
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Sheila Weinmann, PhD; Allison L. Naleway, PhD; Padma Koppolu, MPH; Stephanie A. Irving, MHS; Elizabeth Liles, MD; and Ning Smith, PhD, Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research; Roger Baxter, MD, and Nicola P. Klein, MD, PhD, of the Center for Vaccine Studies, Kaiser Permanente Northern California; Edward A. Belongia, MD, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, Marshfield, Wisconsin; Simon J. Hambidge, MD, PhD, of Denver Health, Denver, Colorado; Michael L. Jackson, PhD, from Kaiser Permanente Washington; Bruno Lewin, MD, Kaiser Permanente Southern California; Mona Marin, MD, and Eric Weintraub, MPH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Colleen Chun, MD, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Kaiser Permanente Northwest.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of the leading health care providers and nonprofit health care plans in the United States. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente's mission is to provide affordable, high quality health care services, as well as to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 12.3 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. The care of members and patients is centered on their overall health and guided by their doctors, specialists and permanent medical care team. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by advances in technology and advanced tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care and world-clbad chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to innovations in care, clinical research, health education and community health support.
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