Vaccination
As chickenpox shots rose, what happened to shingles?
Open access · cc by · source: Europe PMC
In Massachusetts, higher childhood varicella vaccine coverage tracked with less varicella but more reported herpes zoster—causality still uncertain.
Key findings
Coverage in 19–35-month-olds rose from 48% to 89%. Varicella fell while age-standardized zoster incidence rose by 2.5 per 1,000 (90%) over 1999–2003. Authors caution vaccination is only one possible explanation.
Methodology
Investigators used Massachusetts BRFSS data (1998–2003) and vaccine coverage estimates to track varicella and herpes zoster incidence as childhood vaccination expanded.
Limitations
Ecological survey trends cannot prove childhood vaccination caused the zoster increase.
How this study connects
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