The protective effect of immunologic boosting against zoster: an analysis in leukemic children who were vaccinated against chickenpox.
Whether reexposure of varicella-immune persons to varicella-zoster virus would protect against or predispose to development of zoster was analyzed. The rate of zoster in 511 leukemic recipients of varicella vaccine who had 1 or > 1 dose of varicella vaccine and in those who did or did not have a household exposure to varicella was determined. A Kaplan-Meier life-table analysis revealed that the incidence of zoster was lower in those given > 1 dose of vaccine (P < .05). A Cox proportional hazards analysis showed that both household exposure to varicella and receipt of > 1 dose of vaccine were highly protective (P < .01) against zoster. Thus, the risk of zoster is decreased by reexposure to varicella-zoster virus, either by vaccination or by close exposure to varicella.
Gershon
A A
AA
Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York 10032, USA.
LaRussa
P
P
Steinberg
S
S
Mervish
N
N
Lo
S H
SH
Meier
P
P
D002644:Chickenpox / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D015994:Incidence; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000276:immunology*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D014611:Vaccination; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D014765:Viral Vaccines