Availability of Varicella Vaccine
for Children with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
An investigational, live, attenuated varicella vaccine is
available free of charge through Merck Research Laboratories to any
physician requesting it for certain pediatric patients (aged 12
months to 17 years) with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). Patients
must meet specified criteria, including no clinical history of
varicella and continuous remission for at least 12 months.
Varicella vaccine is being provided to this group of patients
for use through a study protocol to monitor and evaluate safety. An
Investigational New Drug application for the vaccine has been filed
with the Food and Drug Administration.
Previous experience with this vaccine has shown it to be
immunogenic in children with ALL (1). The most common reaction to
the vaccine is a mild (fewer than 100 lesions) varicelli-form rash,
occurring in approximately 40% of vaccinees (2).
The physician must provide information outlined in the
protocol, and the protocol and consent form for the study must be
approved by the institution's Investigational Review Board.
Additional information about eligibility criteria and vaccine
administration is available from Dr. Jo White, Merck Research
Laboratories, telephone (215) 834-2554.
Reported by: Div of Immunization, National Center for Prevention
Svcs, CDC.
References
Gershon AA, Steinberg SP, Varicella Vaccine Collaborative Study
Group of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Persistence of immunity to varicella in children with leukemia
immunized with live attenuated varicella vaccine. N Engl J Med
1989;320:892-7.
Lydick E, Kuter BJ, Zajac BA, Guess HA, Varicella Vaccine
Collaborative Study Group of the National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases. Association of steroid therapy with
vaccine-associated rashes in children with acute lymphocytic
leukaemia who received Oka/Merck varicella vaccine. Vaccine
1989;7:549-53.
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