Journal article

Congenital and neonatal varicella: Impact of the national varicella vaccination programme in Australia

G Khandaker, H Marshall, E Peadon, Y Zurynski, D Burgner, J Buttery, M Gold, M Nissen, EJ Elliott, M Burgess, R Booy

Archives of Disease in Childhood | Published : 2011

Abstract

Objective: Routine varicella zoster vaccination for children aged 18 months began in Australia from. November 2005. The aim of this study was to compare the current incidence and outcomes of congenital and neonatal varicella in Australia with similarly collected data from 1995 to 1997. Methods: Active national prospective surveillance was carried out for congenital and neonatal varicella using the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit (APSU) for 3.5 years from June 2006. Around 1300 clinicians reported monthly according to predefined case criteria. Results: During the study period the mean monthly return rate of APSU report cards was 93.7%. Two cases of congenital varicella (0.19 per 100 0..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Grants

Awarded by NHMRC


Funding Acknowledgements

The activities of the APSU are supported by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing; NHMRC Enabling grant no. 402784; NHMRC Practitioner Fellowship no. 457084 (EJE); the Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney; and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.