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Ghanaian children (2176) aged <5 years who presented with undifferentiated acute respiratory distress were tested for respiratory pathogens using a BioFire FilmArray polymerase chain reaction assay. Rhinovirus and/or enterovirus was detected in 36% of the assays, respiratory syncytial virus in 11%, and parainfluenza in 7%. Respiratory syncytial virus and metapneumovirus were detected more frequently in the rainy season than in the dry season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Because of ongoing outbreaks of varicella, a second dose of varicella vaccine was added to the routine immunization schedule for children in June 2006 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Methods. We assessed the effectiveness of 2 doses of varicella vaccine in a case-control study by identifying children ≥4 years of age with varicella confirmed by polymerase chain reaction assay and up to 2 controls matched by age and pediatric practice. Effectiveness was calculated using exact conditional logistic regression. Results. From July 2006 to January 2010, of the 71 case subjects and 140 matched controls enrolled, no cases (0%) vs 22 controls (15.7%) had received 2 doses of varicella vaccine, 66 cases (93.0%) vs 117 controls (83.6%) had received 1 dose, and 5 cases (7.0%) vs 1 control (0.7%) did not receive varicella vaccine (P < .001). The effectiveness of 2 doses of the vaccine was 98.3% (95% confidence level [CI]: 83.5%-100%; P < .001). The matched odds ratio for 2 doses vs 1 dose of the vaccine was 0.053 (95% CI: 0.002-0.320; P < .001). Conclusion. The effectiveness of 2 doses of varicella vaccine in the first 2.5 years after recommendation of a routine second dose of the vaccine for children is excellent. Odds of developing varicella were 95% lower for children who received 2 doses compared with 1 dose of varicella vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Reports of outbreaks of varicella in highly immunized groups have increased concern about the effectiveness of varicella vaccine. Objective: To assess whether the effectiveness of varicella vaccine is affected either by time since vaccination or by age at the time of vaccination. Design: Case-control study conducted from March 1997 through June 2003. Setting: Twenty different group practices in southern Connecticut. Participants: Case subjects, identified by active surveillance of all practices, consisted of 339 eligible children 13 months or older who were clinically diagnosed as having chickenpox and who also had a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result that was positive for varicella-zoster virus DNA. For each case subject, 2 controls were selected, matched by both age and pediatric practice. Main Outcome Measures: The effectiveness of the vaccine, especially the effects of time since vaccination and age at the time of vaccination, adjusted for possible confounders. Results: Although the adjusted overall effectiveness of the vaccine was 87% (95% confidence interval, 81%-91%; P<.001), there was a substantial difference in the vaccine's effectiveness in the first year after vaccination (97%) and in years 2 to 8 after vaccination (84%, P = .003). The vaccine's effectiveness in year 1 was substantially lower if the vaccine was administered at younger than 15 months (73%) than if it was administered at 15 months or older (99%, P = .01), although the difference in effectiveness overall for children immunized at younger than 15 months was not statistically significantly different than for those immunized at 15 months or older (81% vs 88%, P = .17). Most cases of chickenpox in vaccinees were mild. Conclusions: Although varicella vaccine is effective, its effectiveness decreases significantly after 1 year, although most cases of breakthrough disease are mild. If administered at younger than 15 months, the vaccine's effectiveness was lower in the first yea... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]