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Chickenpox complications in Saudi Arabia: Is it time for routine varicella vaccination?

Maha Almuneef1, Ziad A Memish, Hanan H Balkhy

  • 1Department of Infection Prevention and Control, King Abdulaziz Medical City-King Fahad National Guard Hospital, PO Box 22490, Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia.

International Journal of Infectious Diseases : IJID : Official Publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
|November 2, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Chickenpox (varicella) complications are rare but can be severe, especially in adults. This study highlights the need for varicella vaccination in Saudi Arabia to reduce disease burden.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Chickenpox (varicella) is a common childhood illness, but severe cases and hospitalizations can occur.
  • The full spectrum of varicella complications is often underestimated in pediatric populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the complication rate of chickenpox in the Saudi National Guard population.
  • To establish a baseline for varicella-related morbidity and mortality in Saudi Arabia.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective follow-up of 3802 reported chickenpox cases at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh.
  • Data collected from June 2001 to December 2003, focusing on complication development.

Main Results:

  • 1.5% of chickenpox cases developed complications, with skin infections and pneumonia being most common.
  • Adults had higher rates of pneumonia and hospitalization compared to children.
  • The overall fatality rate was 0.05%, with two deaths reported.

Conclusions:

  • Chickenpox complications, though infrequent, necessitate monitoring and can impact adult populations disproportionately.
  • Findings support the integration of the varicella vaccine into routine childhood immunization programs in Saudi Arabia.
Abstract

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