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Clin Infect Dis 2002 Feb 4;34(6)

Persistence of Immunity to Live Attenuated Varicella Vaccine in Healthy Adults.

Ampofo K, Saiman L, LaRussa P, Steinberg S, Annunziato P, Gershon A

Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, 10032, USA.

[Record supplied by publisher]

The varicella vaccine was approved in 1995 for use in healthy varicella?susceptible children and adults. Long?term immunity in 461 healthy adults who were enrolled in varicella vaccine trials in 1979?1999 were studied. Forty vaccinees (9%), including 19 (21%) of 89 vaccinees with household exposure (HHE) to chickenpox, developed breakthrough chickenpox 8 weeks to 11.8 years (mean, 3.3 years) after vaccination. The median number of skin lesions among the 36 untreated vaccinees was 20 (range, 1?240 lesions), and the number of lesions was essentially the same with time since vaccination. Breakthrough chickenpox was mild, even among vaccinees who did not have seroconversion or those recipients who lost detectable antibody. Lower varicella?zoster virus (VZV) antibody titers measured within 3 months of vaccination as well as at the time of HHE were associated with an increased risk of breakthrough disease. This study demonstrated that the varicella vaccine was effective in providing adults with long?term protection from serious VZV disease.

PMID: 11830801

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Indian Pediatr 2001 Oct;38(10):1160-2

Hepatitis B immunization in adolescent girls.

Bapat S, Joshi D, Naik SS, Bavdekar A, Bhave S, Pandit A

Departments of Pediatrics and Biochemistry, K.E.M. Hospital, Pune 411 011, India. kemhrc@vsnl.com

Publication Types:

• Evaluation studies

PMID: 11677306, UI: 21534576

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JAMA 2002 Feb 6;287(5):606-11

Varicella disease after introduction of varicella vaccine in the United States, 1995-2000.

Seward JF, Watson BM, Peterson CL, Mascola L, Pelosi JW, Zhang JX, Maupin TJ, Goldman GS, Tabony LJ, Brodovicz KG, Jumaan AO, Wharton M

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd, NE, Mailstop E-62, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. jseward@cdc.gov

[Medline record in process]

CONTEXT: Before licensure of varicella vaccine in 1995, varicella was a universal childhood disease in the United States, causing 4 million cases, 11,000 hospitalizations, and 100 deaths every year. OBJECTIVE: To examine population-based disease surveillance data in 3 communities to document the impact of the varicella vaccination program. DESIGN, SETTING, AND SUBJECTS: Active surveillance for varicella conducted among the populations of Antelope Valley, Calif; Travis County, Tex; and West Philadelphia, Pa; from January 1, 1995, to December 31, 2000. Reporting sites included child care centers, schools, universities, physicians, public health clinics, hospitals, emergency departments, and households. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Trends in number and rate of varicella cases and hospitalizations; varicella vaccine coverage. RESULTS: From 1995 through 1998, in each surveillance area, the number of verified varicella cases varied from year to year with marked springtime seasonality. In 1999, the number and rates of varicella cases and hospitalizations declined markedly. From 1995 through 2000, in Antelope Valley, Travis County, and West Philadelphia, varicella cases declined 71%, 84%, and 79%, respectively. Cases declined to the greatest extent among children aged 1 to 4 years, but cases declined in all age groups, including infants and adults. In the combined 3 surveillance areas, hospitalizations due to varicella declined from a range of 2.7 to 4.2 per 100,000 population in 1995 through 1998 to 0.6 and 1.5 per 100,000 population in 1999 and 2000, respectively (P =.15). By 2000, vaccine coverage among children aged 19 to 35 months was 82.1%, 73.6%, and 83.8% in Los Angeles County, Texas, and Philadelphia County, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Varicella disease has declined dramatically in surveillance areas with moderate vaccine coverage. Continued implementation of existing vaccine policies should lead to further reductions of varicella disease in these communities and throughout the United States.

PMID: 11829699, UI: 21819155

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MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2002 Jan 18;51(2):31-3

Recommended childhood immunization schedule--United States, 2002.

Each year, CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) reviews the recommended childhood immunization schedule to ensure that it is current with changes in manufacturers' vaccine formulations, has revised recommendations for the use of licensed vaccines, and has recommendations for newly licensed vaccines. This report presents the recommended childhood immunization schedule for 2002, which has remained the same in content since January 2001 but has a redesigned format.

PMID: 11820528, UI: 21678257

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Pediatr Infect Dis J 2001 Dec;20(12):1155-60

A computerized reminder strategy is effective for annual influenza immunization of children with asthma or reactive airway disease.

Gaglani M, Riggs M, Kamenicky C, Glezen WP

Scott and White Memorial Hospital and Clinic, Scott, Sherwood and Brindley Foundation, Texas A&M University System Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple, TX, USA. mgaglani@swmail.sw.org

BACKGROUND: Influenza virus infection frequently triggers asthma exacerbation and hospitalization. Annual influenza immunization is recommended for children with chronic conditions, including those with asthma or reactive airway disease (RAD); however, <10% receive it each year. METHODS: In September, 1997, we instituted a computerized staged reminder strategy for annual influenza immunization of children with asthma/RAD at the Scott and White Pediatric Clinic in Temple. A reminder letter, followed six weeks later by an autodial recall telephone message, was sent to the parent/guardian of children with asthma/RAD using the Shared Medical Systems to identify children with asthma/RAD and the Integrated Client Encounter System to record immunizations. The effect of this computerized reminder system on the influenza immunization rate of a cohort of 925 Scott and White Pediatric Clinic children with asthma/RAD was examined for the 1996 to 1997 and 1997 to 1998 influenza seasons, before and after intervention. RESULTS: A significant increase in influenza immunization rate from 5.4% to 32.1% occurred in all age groups, regardless of the insurance status. The medically attended acute respiratory illness rate per 100 subjects was significantly higher in vaccinated than in unvaccinated children for each of the two influenza epidemics and in the period between the two epidemics. CONCLUSION: A computerized reminder letter followed by an autodial recall telephone message is effective in increasing the influenza immunization rate of children with asthma/RAD. Children with significantly higher respiratory morbidity during and in between two influenza epidemics were more likely to be immunized after receiving written and telephone autodial reminders.

Publication Types:

• Evaluation studies

PMID: 11740323, UI: 21603312

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Pediatrics 2002 Feb;109(2):E21-1

Newborn hepatitis B vaccination policy in hospital nurseries.

Cabana MD, Aiken KD, Clark SJ

Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit, Division of General Pediatrics, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

[Medline record in process]

OBJECTIVE: Hepatitis B vaccination (HBV) is unlike any other immunization series because it can be initiated in the hospital nursery. The objective of this study was to describe how hospital nurseries develop HBV policies and to describe the sources of information used for learning about national HBV recommendations. METHODS: A cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted on a national random sample of nursery medical directors of 290 hospital nurseries representing all 50 states. The outcomes measured were methods used by hospital nurseries to develop HBV policy and sources of information used by nursery directors to learn about national HBV recommendations. RESULTS: Directors at 207 (71%) of 290 eligible nurseries responded. Of the 184 nurseries that have considered developing an HBV policy, the most common method was through a formal committee (43%). In 104 (57%) of these nurseries a nurse was involved in policy development, and in 15 (8%) the nurse manager initiated the process. The most common source of initial information about the July 1999 announcement to suspend the nursery dose of HBV was the American Academy of Pediatrics. The most common initial source of information about the availability of thimerosal-free HBV was pharmaceutical companies. Physician, nurse, and pharmacist colleagues were cited as sources of information with similar frequency (12, 11, and 20 cases, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Physicians are not the sole initiators and developers of HBV policy in the newborn nursery. Although almost all nurseries designate a physician as a nursery director, in many cases (55% of cases) the position is "rotating" or as part of another administrative position (63% of cases). Many hospital nurseries involve nurses and pharmacists in key roles to stay current with HBV recommendations and to develop subsequent policy. Using nonphysician national organizations as additional channels of information might expedite dissemination about changes in HBV recommendations and, as a result, improve nursery awareness and adoption of national HBV guidelines.

PMID: 11826231, UI: 21684079

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Pediatrics 2002 Feb;109(2):350-1

Seroprotection rates after late doses of hepatitis B vaccine.

Duval B, Deceuninck G

Unite de Recherche en Sante Publique, Centre de Recherche du CHUL, Beauport (Quebec) G1E 7G9, Canada. Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.

[Medline record in process]

PMID: 11826227, UI: 21684075

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Pediatrics 2002 Feb;109(2):346-7

BCG vaccination and prevention of allergic disease.

Krishna MT, Salvi SS

[Medline record in process]

Publication Types:

• Letter

PMID: 11826222, UI: 21684070

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