Management of chickenpox in pregnant women: an Italian perspective

Epidemiological Characteristics of Varicella under Different Immunisation Strategies in Suzhou Prefecture, Jiangsu Province

Background: The varicella vaccine is excluded from the Chinese national immunisation programme but is included in the local expanded programme on immunisation (EPI) in the Suzhou Prefecture. This study investigated the epidemiological characteristics of the varicella cases during the implementation of different immunisation strategies in the Suzhou Prefecture, Jiangsu Province. Methods: In this study, we used descriptive statistics. Information on reported instances from 2012 to 2021 was first retrieved. Data on varicella cases were collected from the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention (CISDCP). Similarly, information on vaccinated children was obtained from the Jiangsu Province Vaccination Integrated Service Management Information System (JPVISMIS). The census data in this study was procured from the Suzhou Bureau of Statistics. Results: From 2012 to 2021, a total of 118,031 cases of varicella were reported in Suzhou, and the average annual reported incidence was 91.35 per 100,000. The average yearly incidence after implementing the two-dose varicella vaccination decreased by 41.57% compared with the implementation of one dose. This study demonstrates two annual incidence peaks, a small peak between April and July and a prominent peak between October and January. It is also possible that this seasonal distribution is related to the geography of Suzhou. The average annual reported incidence between districts with a statistically significant difference (χ2 = 98.077, p < 0.05). The one-dose varicella vaccination coverage gradually increased from 55.34% in 2012 to 89.06% in 2021 and the two-dose varicella vaccination coverage gradually increased from 0.27% in 2012 to 82.17% in 2021. Conclusions: Administering the varicella vaccine in the local EPI has significantly decreased the incidence rate and the total number of cases. A two-dose vaccination schedule is still the best vaccination strategy for varicella vaccine effectiveness.

Seroprevalence of Varicella in Pregnant Women and Newborns in a Region of Colombia

We estimate the seroprevalence of IgG antibodies to varicella zoster virus (VZV) based on the first serological study in a cohort of pregnant women and newborns from the Aburrá Valley (Antioquia-Colombia) who attended delivery in eight randomly chosen hospitals. An indirect enzyme immunoassay was used to determine anti-VZV IgG antibodies. Generalized linear models were constructed to identify variables that modify seropositivity. In pregnant women, seropositivity was 85.8% (95% CI: 83.4-85.9), seronegativity was 12.6% (95% CI: 10.8-14.6), and concordance with umbilical cord titers was 90.0% (95% CI: 89-91). The seropositivity of pregnant women was lower in those who lived in rural areas (IRR: 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2-0.7), belonged to the high socioeconomic status (IRR: 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2-0.7), and had studied 11 years or more (IRR: 0.6, 95% CI: 0.4-0.8). Among newborns, seropositivity was lower in those who weighed less than 3000 g (IRR: 0.8, 95% CI: 0.6-1.0). The high seropositivity and seronegativity pattern indicates the urgent need to design preconception consultation and vaccination reinforcement for women of childbearing age according to their sociodemographic conditions, to prevent infection and complications in the mother and newborn.