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2002 AUG 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Delayed administration of varicella virus vaccine might enhance its protective effects, researchers in the United States say.
Mark S. Dworkin and colleagues at the Illinois Department of Public Health investigated a varicella outbreak in Illinois preschools and elementary schools. Their results were published in the journal Clinical Infectious Disease.
Children who were immunized against varicella virus after their first year of life had a much lower infection risk than those who received early vaccinations, Dworkin and coauthors found.
The researchers reviewed data from a varicella outbreak in a Winnebago County, Illinois school district. Afflicted students ranged from preschool-age children to third graders, according to the report.
Overall, varicella vaccinations administered to Winnebago County students were 88% effective, study data showed. However, children immunized before the age of 15 months were almost four times as likely as other children to become infected during the varicella outbreak.
Source: HighBeam Research, Delayed varicella immunization may improve efficacy.(Brief Article)