A seroepidemiology study of varicella among children aged 0-12 years in Taiwan.
The epidemiology pattern of varicella appears to vary among regions with different climates, population densities, and degrees of development. This study investigated the age-specific varicella zoster virus (VZV) seroprevalence in children aged 0 to 12 years in Taiwan and compared these seroprevalences between free and private vaccination areas. Residual sera were collected from 13 hospitals with 1,401 valid samples. Immunoglobulin G antibodies to VZV were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Parents of 656 children answered questions about the varicella incidence and varicella vaccination history of their children. In the 8-12 year-olds, the seroprevance ranged between 88.0-93.8% in northern, central, and eastern, while it was only 76.1% in southern Taiwan. The seroprevalence of children 0-5 years old were significantly different between free and private vaccination areas. Seropositive children who reported no history of varicella or receiving varicella vaccine accounted for 26.1-59.3% of the total positive cases. Our findings suggest the possible effects of climate, geographical conditions, and lifestyle on the seroepidemiology of VZV in Taiwan. The efforts of implementing a varicella vaccination program in Taiwan should focus on reaching high levels of coverage.
Tseng
H F
HF
Institute of Medical Research, Chang-Jung University, Taiwan. tsenghf2000@yahoo.com.tw
Tan
H F
HF
Chang
C K
CK
Wang
L Y
LY
Yang
S E
SE
Liau
M Y
MY
Pan
M J
MJ
Chen
C Y
CY
Huang
S P
SP
D002644:Chickenpox / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology