These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Immunity to varicella zoster virus among young adults: a decline prior to widespread uptake of varicella vaccines.
    Author: Grotto I, Balicer RD, Smetana Z, Davidovitch N, Bar-Zeev Y, Mendelson E, Zarka S, Huerta M.
    Journal: Infection; 2008 Mar; 36(2):130-4. PubMed ID: 18379727.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND: The epidemiology of chickenpox in Israel is changing, mainly due to the increasing - but not universal - uptake of varicella vaccine. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a seroprevalence study of varicella zoster virus (VZV) antibodies among 536 Israeli military recruits 18 years of age, on the basis of a representative sample of sera collected in 2003. RESULTS: The overall seroprevalence rate was 94.6%, which was significantly lower than that observed in a similar population in 1992 (98.4%, p < 0.001). The rate was lower among subjects whose fathers had less than 12 years of schooling (89.8%, p = 0.033). No statistically significant differences were observed when data were stratified by sex, subject's level of education, or origin. CONCLUSION: This decline in the level of immunity must be considered when determining pre- and post-exposure vaccination policy among young adults in crowded environments.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]