Decreasing rates of hospitalization for varicella among young adults

Hospitalizations for varicella-zoster virus infection (n = 13,018) among active-duty Navy and Marine Corps personnel were studied retrospectively for the years 1981-1994. A large increase in hospitalization rates occurred during the 1980s, peaking in 1987 with 2025 total hospitalizations and a crude rate of 258/100,000 persons. Since that time, hospitalization rates have decreased markedly, with only 473 hospitalizations in 1994 (rate, 74/100,000 persons). In unconditional logistic regression risk factor modeling for varicella hospitalization, personnel at highest risk of hospitalization had foreign homes of record, were most junior in rank, had < or = 2 years of military service, were Filipino or black, were male, and served in the Navy. Adjusted risk of hospitalization fell > 2-fold from 1987-1988 to 1993-1994. These finding may assist military public health officials in developing strategies to prevent varicella morbidity.