Vaccination Program Has Led to Significantly Fewer Chickenpox Cases

US Pharm. 2015;40(9):5.

Atlanta, GA—CDC researchers using national healthcare claims data from 1994 to 2012 found that, compared with the period before the chickenpox vaccine was introduced, 93% fewer hospitalizations for chickenpox took place. During the two-dose varicella vaccination period (2006-2012), hospitalizations declined 38%. In addition, outpatient visits dropped significantly. There were 84% fewer outpatient visits in 2012 than in the prevaccination period. During the two-dose varicella vaccination period, outpatient visits dropped 60%. The research results also suggest that increasing vaccination coverage against this formerly common childhood illness also helps protect those people who are not immunized.