Children of parents who refuse vaccines are nine times more likely to get chickenpox compared to fully immunized children, according to a new study led by a vaccine research team at Kaiser Permanente Colorado's Institute for Health Research. The study was published today in the January issue of the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
Funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, this is the first study to examine the relationship between parental vaccine refusal and the risk of varicella infection in children, adding to the body of knowledge on the risk of vaccine refusal. The study used electronic health records of more than 86,000 children who were members of Kaiser Permanente Colorado between 1998 and 2008.
Varicella is one of the most commonly refused childhood vaccines, likely due to perceptions by parents and providers that chickenpox is the least severe of all vaccine-preventable diseases.
Childhood vaccinations have led to dramatic reductions in a number of serious childhood illnesses, but the number of parents refusing immunizations appears to be increasing in the United States. The study could not determine from the information available why parents elected to decline vaccines for their children. The study also did not evaluate the side effects of vaccines.
"Many parents question the need for vaccinations. This study provides evidence to counter the misperception among vaccine-refusing parents that their children are not at risk for potentially serious illness," said study lead author Jason Glanz, PhD, a senior scientist and epidemiologist at Kaiser Permanente's Institute for Health Research. "It also provides further information to pediatric health care providers to help them convey the benefits and risks of vaccines. This evidence should assist parents and doctors when having discussions about vaccines and help parents make more informed decisions."
Varicella is a highly contagious disease that causes a high fever, an itchy rash and red spots or blisters all over the body. The disease can pose a severe risk for children, especially those with bad eczema, cancer, HIV, or other immune-compromising conditions. It can also cause serious complications in pregnant women and newborns. Prior to the widespread use of the varicella vaccine in 1995, there were four million cases of varicella infection annually, resulting in more than 10,000 hospitalizations and 100 deaths per year in the U.S. Since then, immunization has reduced annual morbidity, mortality, and hospitalizations due to varicella by more than 80 percent.