Issue Number
167
May 25,
2000
UNPROTECTED PEOPLE: Stories of
people who have suffered or died from vaccine-preventable diseases
Story #31:
MICHIGAN CHILD'S DEATH CAUSED BY CHICKENPOX
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The following story appeared in the "Michigan Immunization
Update" (Summer/Fall 1999 issue). It is reprinted here with permission from the
Michigan Department of Community Health.
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MICHIGAN CHILD'S DEATH CAUSED BY CHICKENPOX
Though fatal outcomes are rare, chickenpox (varicella) can result in death. The Michigan health care community was
reminded of that sobering fact this spring with the report of an eight-year-old boy's varicella-related death. The
child, who had not been vaccinated against chickenpox, died from complications of invasive group A streptococcal (GAS)
infection approximately one week after the onset of varicella rash.
Varicella has increasingly become recognized as a risk factor for GAS disease. An investigation of an outbreak of
GAS in a Boston day care center in 1997 found antecedent or concurrent varicella infection to be a significant
risk factor for GAS infection. Investigations of several other varicella-related
deaths have similarly noted severe, invasive group A strep infection as a possible complication
of chickenpox.
This is the fourth reported varicella-related death in Michigan since 1997. Two
deaths were reported in that year, a two-year-old child and a 42-year-old adult. An eight-year-old child died in 1998. None had previously received
chickenpox vaccine, which was licensed for use in the U.S. in 1995. Nationally, it is estimated that approximately 100
varicella-related deaths occur each year.
As part of a comprehensive effort to assess the impact of vaccination on varicella-related morbidity and mortality,
CDC now encourages state public health agencies to investigate varicella-related deaths.... Health care
providers should report varicella-related deaths immediately to the local health
department of the patient's residence....
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ABOUT THE "UNPROTECTED PEOPLE" SERIES:
The Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) has published this story for the purpose of making it available for our
readers' review. We have not verified the story's content, for which the author is solely responsible. The views
reflected in this story are the writer's and do not necessarily reflect the position of IAC.
To read "Unprotected People" stories that were previously published in "IAC
EXPRESS" visit: http://www.immunize.org/stories/
DO YOU KNOW OF STORIES THAT CAN HELP SAVE LIVES?
IAC is collecting stories of people who have suffered or died from vaccine-preventable diseases. Please let us know
if you have personal stories, or if you know of stories that have appeared in the media, that describe the
suffering that occurred because someone wasn't immunized. In addition, we are also collecting case reports to help us
illustrate the morbidity and mortality caused by vaccine-preventable diseases.
If you have stories or case reports that can help save lives, e-mail them to:
admin@immunize.org or fax them to
(651) 647-9131.
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