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Immunity to chickenpox among school adolescents in Lebanon and options for vaccination

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2003

U. M. MUSHARRAFIEH ,
I. A. NUWAYHID ,
G. N. HAMADEH ,
S. W. STEITIEH  and
A. R. N. BIZRI
U. M. MUSHARRAFIEH
Affiliation:
Department of Family Medicine, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 113-6044, Beirut, Lebanon
I. A. NUWAYHID
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Health, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 113-6044, Beirut, Lebanon
G. N. HAMADEH
Affiliation:
Department of Family Medicine, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 113-6044, Beirut, Lebanon
S. W. STEITIEH
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Health, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 113-6044, Beirut, Lebanon
A. R. N. BIZRI
Affiliation:
Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 113-6044, Beirut, Lebanon
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Abstract

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Varicella infections cause substantial morbidity and mortality in adolescents and adults. The primary infection, chickenpox, results in lifelong immunity to chickenpox. A seroprevalence study carried on adolescents 15–18 years of age attending schools in Lebanon showed 96·6% immunity to varicella. The positive predictive value for immunity to chickenpox based on history alone was 97·4%, whereas the negative predictive value was 4·5%. Coming from a bigger family was a statistically significant predictor of immunity to chickenpox. In a developing country like Lebanon the merits and limitations of implementing universal varicella vaccination is discussed in relation to seroprevalence and socioeconomic factors.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 129 , Issue 3 , December 2002 , pp. 607 - 615
Copyright
2002 Cambridge University Press