The chickenpox vaccination program launched in 1995 has had a dramatic impact on the number of children infected, hospitalized and killed by the virus in the United States.
According to a review of a recent article, “Varicella Prevention in the United States: A Review of Successes and Challenges,” found in the August issue of “Pediatrics” magazine, cases of chickenpox (varicella) had dropped 90 percent by 2005.
The number of varicella-related hospitalizations declined 75 to 88 percent and deaths declined by more than 74 percent in people under age 50, with the greatest declines among children ages one to four (92 percent) and five to nine (89 percent).
Click here to read more on the American Academy of Pediatrics website.
