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Previous Volume 338:683-684 March 5, 1998 Number 10 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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To the Editor: Historically, chickenpox has been largely a benign disease affecting predominantly preschool and school-aged children. Times are changing: in Massachusetts, children enrolled in day-care programs will soon be required to be vaccinated against varicella (or have evidence of having had the disease).¹ Although it is generally held that immunizing children is axiomatic for public health, vaccinating all children against chickenpox is a bad idea.

It is unknown whether long-term immunity to varicella arises from an attack of the disease in childhood or from the virus's repeatedly (and naturally) boosting immunity because it is maintained in our communities. Furthermore, . . . [Full Text of this Article]

References

Related Letters:

More on Varicella Immunization
Wack R. P.
Extract | Full Text  
N Engl J Med 1998; 338:1927, Jun 25, 1998. Correspondence

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