IMMUNIZATION OF CHILDREN WITH LIVE VARICELLA VACCINE BY INTRANASAL ROUTE: IMMUNE RESPONSE AND CLINICAL REACTION

*K. Baba (1), Y. Gomi (2), K. Yamanish (2)
(1)Baba Pediatric Clinic, Osaka, Japan; (2)Department of Microbiology, Osaka University Medical School, Osaka, Japan

Eighty-six young children (1 to 3 years old) were immunized with varicella vaccine by intranasal route. As clinical reaction, mild rashes appeared in some of them. Rashes are mostly macules and papules, and no or few vesicles formation was detected. Immune responses (humoral and VZV skin test reaction) were generally higher than 125 children immunized subcutaneously.

The results suggest that qualitative difference exist in clinical reaction between vaccine virus and wild-type viruses; no or few vesicle formation occurs with vaccine virus even by intranasal administration, while it usually occurs by natural VZV infection, and this may reflect attenuated nature of vaccine virus.

Corresponding Author: K. Baba, Baba Pediatric Clinic, Kadoma Hommachi 43-38, Kadoma city, Osaka, Japan