UK: Chickenpox: Christmas is over, So time for a new vaccine

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January 8, 2009

Chickenpox: Christmas is over,

So time for a new vaccine

Stone

For the United Kingdom’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation –

the JCVI – January is always the month for floating a new vaccine. And the

new flavour for 2009 is chickenpox, launched this weekend by articles in the

Sunday Times and Daily Mail. What neither report mentioned was a study

carried out for our Health Protection Agency, and published only in

September. While bloggers speculated helpfully that the new vaccine –

obviously on the schedule for many years in the US – might offer protection

against the much more serious secondary condition of shingles, they were not

told that a recent government report had advised that quite the opposite was

the case. Here is the UK Health Protection Agency notice - which is going to

be of at least equal interest in countries which already use the vaccine -

in full:

Latest modelling reveals chickenpox vaccination would lead to more shingle

amongst the elderly despite introduction of shingles vaccine

" New modelling research presented at the

Health Protection Agency’s annual conference

In Warwick confirms that vaccination against

Chickenpox would significantly decrease the

Burden of this disease but would lead to more

Shingles among the elderly.

" Researchers also found that vaccinating the

Elderly against shingles would only partially,

But not completely, offset this increase.

" Varicella Zoster is a virus that causes two

Diseases: chickenpox (mostly among children)

And shingles (mostly among elderly), this is

Because the virus remains in the body after

Chickenpox and is able to reactivate as

Shingles later in life.

" In most cases, chickenpox is a mild illness

And around 89% of adults in the UK will develop

Mmunity to the illness. Although a vaccine

Against the varicella virus (which causes

Chickenpox) is now licensed in the UK it is

Not part of UK’s routine childhood vaccination

Schedule.

" If a chickenpox vaccine were to be added

To the childhood immunisation programme

Concerns have been raised that there would

Be an increase of shingles cases in adults as a

Result. This is because people who have had

Chickenpox are less likely to have shingles later

In life if they have been exposed occasionally

To the chickenpox virus (for example through

Their children) as this exposure acts as a

Booster.

" Post-vaccination research from countries that

Routinely immunise their children against chickenpox,

Including the US, has found an increase in cases

Of shingles among non-vaccinated age groups.

" The Health Protection Agency researchers

Modelled the impact of vaccinating children

Against chickenpox (with a two dose schedule)

And the elderly (60+) against shingles.

" Building on previous modelling data the team

Incorporated virological, epidemiological and recent

Data on age-specific contact patterns to see

Whether a vaccine for the young would impact

On the number of shingles in the elderly.

" The modelling suggested that a two dose

Schedule at the levels of coverage likely to be

Achieved in the UK would lead to an increase of

At least 20% of shingles in the medium term

(approximately 15-20 years). This increase could

Be partially, but not completely, offset by

Introduction of a vaccination against shingles

Among those aged 60+.

" Albert Jan van Hoek, who performed the research

For the Health Protection Agency, said; “Our models

Suggest that vaccination would reduce the burden

Of chickenpox in the young. However, it will lead

To an increase in shingles in the medium term in

Adults because they will not get that ‘boosting’

Effect from being in contact with cases of

Chickenpox.

“There are still uncertainties in the research and

A lot more work needs to be done examining

Whether vaccination will be a benefit to all of

The population. Also further work needs to be

Done on the cost effectiveness of any potential

Chickenpox vaccine before any policy conclusions

Can be reached.”

The Department of Health has commissioned an expert sub-group of the Joint

Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to look at all the

scientific and medical evidence on chickenpox vaccines which will provide

its recommendation in due course.

So, while the notice anticipates the JCVI review the rhetoric is a little

different from the wide-eyed newspaper reports, as well as being highly

damaging to the magic bullet school of vaccine propaganda. Of course, it

only repeats in essence what Goldman has heroically been trying to tell

us all for years, but coming from a governmental source it ought to be a

little harder to deny. The modelling nevertheless seems to be a little

over-optimistic, if they are proposing wiping out wild chickenpox it will

also logically eliminate natural protection against shingles altogether.

See Goldman, PhD - Exposing Problems with Chickenpox Vaccine and Review

of The Chickenpox Vaccine: A New Epidemic of Disease and Corruption.

The Mail report, Chickenpox jab for all children and pregnant women, also

suggests that the vaccine is to be offered to pregnant women despite the

fact that the manufacturers’ data sheets clearly state that the vaccine is

contra-indicated for pregnant women in both monovalent and multivalent forms

The data sheet for Varixax states under ‘Who should not be vaccinated with

Varivax’: Pregnant women (in addition pregnancy should be avoided for 3

months after vaccination).

Similarly, Merck’s data sheet for the controversial Proquad states under

contra-indications:To individuals who are pregnant: the possible effects of

the vaccine on fetal development are unknown at this time (see PRECAUTIONS,

pregnancy).

And under precautions:

" Female vaccine recipients of childbearing age

should be told to avoid pregnancy for 3 months

after vaccination "

The document has many other warnings which are unlikely to be observed in a

mass vaccination campaign.

So, when it all goes wrong the manufacturers will be absolved, and the health

officials will just deny everything, as usual.