MMRV vaccine cut chickenpox hospitalizations in young Brazilian children

Adding varicella to the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine in Brazil significantly cut hospital admissions because of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in children aged 1-4 years, said Marcelo Comerlato Scotta and associates at Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.

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Of the 69,791 admissions caused by VZV in Brazilian patients younger than 20 years, the rate of such hospitalizations for children aged 1-4 years significantly decreased from 27 cases per 100,000 children per year to 14 cases per 100,000 children per year after the vaccine was introduced, a reduction of 48% (P < .001). Changes in other age groups were not significant. That decrease in the rate of VZV admissions remained statistically significant in the vaccinated group after adjusting for seasonality (P < .001).

Direct costs of VZV-related admissions dropped 38% after introducing the MMRV vaccine, the researchers said. “Further studies are needed to evaluate long-term direct and indirect impact on the epidemiology of VZV infections.”

Read more in Vaccine (2017 Dec 1. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2017.11.057.)