PROTECTION AGAINST VARICELLA IN FAMILY CONTACTS BY IMMEDIATE INOCULATION WITH LIVE VARICELLA VACCINE

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 59  (1) , 3-7
Abstract
A live varicella vaccine (Oka strain) was given to susceptible household contacts of varicella to test the protective efficacy of the vaccination. Contacts (26) of 21 families were vaccinated, usually within 3 days after onset of the index cases. None of the vaccinated children developed clinical symptoms of varicella. Of 24 sera obtained before vaccination, 18 were seronegative by complement fixation and neutralization tests. Seroconversion was observed in all 18. All of 19 unvaccinated contacts in the 15 families, who served as controls, showed typical manifestations of varicella 10-33 days after onset of the index varicella cases. In 3 families, where only 1 sibling contact received vaccine and the other was an unvaccinated control, none of the vaccinated children showed any clinical symptoms while unvaccinated controls exhibited typical varicella symptoms 10-14 days after the onset of the index cases. Varicella is apparently prevented in household contacts by vaccination within 3 days following exposure.

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