The Incidence of Zoster after Immunization with Live Attenuated Varicella Vaccine: A Study in Children with Leukemia

THE Oka strain of live attenuated varicella vaccine has been under evaluation for licensure in the United States for more than 10 years. Numerous studies have indicated that the vaccine is safe, immunogenic, and highly protective against severe varicella in healthy children and adults and in certain immunocompromised patients, including children with leukemia. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 It was initially hoped that zoster, which is due to reactivation of latent varicella–zoster virus that is acquired during primary infection with the virus, might not occur after immunization. It is now known, however, that vaccine-type varicella–zoster virus can cause latent infection and that zoster caused by . . .