Immunization of HIV infected children with varicella vaccine

Objective: To determine the safety and immunogenicity of varicella vaccine in children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Children (n = 41) who were mildly affected by HIV (Centers for Disease Control and Prev ention stage NI or Al) and had no history or serum antibody indicative of p rior varicella infection were immunized with two doses of live attenuated v aricella vaccine. Results: A minority of the vaccine recipients had mild local or systemic re actions. Vaccination had no effect on the clinical stage of HIV or the HIV RNA plasma load. CD4 cell percentage and CD4 cell count were marginally dec reased at week 4 after the first vaccination; this effect was no longer pre sent at week 8 after vaccination. Two months after the second dose of vacci ne, 60% of vaccine recipients had anti-varicella antibody in their serum, a nd 83% had a positive lymphocyte proliferation assay response to varicella antigen. Conclusion: On the basis of its safety and immunogenicity, varicella vaccin e should be considered in the childhood vaccines given to mildly affected H IV-infected children.