Age-specific incidence of chickenpox.
Because licensure of a chickenpox (varicella) vaccine is likely soon, it is important to ascertain the age-specific incidence of chickenpox. Increasing vaccine coverage and a resulting decrease in transmission may result in an accumulation of susceptible adults, followed by a shift of incidence into those older age groups in future years. Valid baseline age-specific incidence will make it possible to detect this phenomenon. Two studies were conducted in Kentucky to assess age-specific incidence of chickenpox. The first assessed chickenpox occurrence in two consecutive school-year cohorts of children from a geographically representative sample of Kentucky primary schools. The second gathered information from household members of those persons interviewed in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System telephone survey. The age-specific rates are remarkably similar between studies. Rates peak during the preschool and kindergarten years (ages 3-6). Approximately 20 percent of children remain susceptible to chickenpox after age 8 in both studies. The results from these two surveys will be valuable baselines for comparison with findings in incidence studies that will be performed after vaccine licensure.
Finger
R
R
Kentucky Department for Health Services, Frankfort 40621.
Hughes
J P
JP
Meade
B J
BJ
Pelletier
A R
AR
Palmer
C T
CT
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D017277:Drug Approval; D006306:Health Surveys; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007629:Kentucky / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D014765:Viral Vaccines
D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine; D014765:Viral Vaccines