Fewer children go to the hospital as vaccinations increase, study finds
Chickenpox shots were first recommended for children in 1995 by the American Academy of Pediatrics. At that time, doctors predicted a decline in costs and hospitalizations, but studies have failed to find a connection. Until now.
A new study published in the September issue of the medical journal Pediatrics finds that as the percentage of U.S. children vaccinated for chickenpox rose from 1996 to 2001, the chickenpox hospitalization rate declined.
Costs related to chickenpox hospitalizations also dropped during the time period.
Researchers from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, used data from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. They examined hospitalization patterns and charges in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample for the years 1993-2001. They also used data from the National Immunization Survey for 1996-2001.
They found that chickenpox-related hospitalization rates dropped for all age groups as vaccinations increased, with the most dramatic declines in rates for children ages birth to 4 years old.
The chickenpox hospitalization rate started at 0.5 per 10,000 Americans between 1993 and 1995. The rate dropped by half to 0.26 per 10,000 by 1999 and halved again to 0.13 per 10,000 in 2001.
Chickenpox-related hospital costs dropped from $161.1 million in 1993 to $66.3 million in 2001 in constant dollars.
That’s an annual savings of almost $100 million that can be credited to chickenpox vaccinations.
Previous studies that found no connection had smaller sample sizes.
Four in 50,000 chickenpox cases have some sort of serious complication, including necrotizing fasciitis, also known as “flesh-eating disease.”
Washington and Idaho do not require chickenpox shots for school attendance. But the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children between 12 and 18 months of age should have one dose of chickenpox vaccine.
Diabetes expo
Mark your calendar for “Diabetes Connections,” a day of seminars, product exhibits and health screenings geared toward people with diabetes. The event will take place Sept. 25 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Spokane Convention Center, 344 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.
Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for senior citizens and free for children under 18.
Speakers include a doctor, a chiropractor, a pharmacy professor and a diabetes educator. It’s sponsored by the American Diabetes Association. For more information, call (509) 624-7478.
Class action
If you bought the prescription antibiotic Augmentin from Jan. 4, 2000, to April 30, 2004, you could be eligible for a payment from a class action settlement. GlaxoSmithKline agreed to pay $29 million to settle an antitrust lawsuit over whether it improperly blocked manufacturers from selling generic Augmentin.
To find out more, visit www.augmentinlitigation.com.
On television
A live call-in show on learning disabilities will air on KSPS Public Television on Wednesday at 7 p.m. A panel of experts will answer callers’ questions on “Is My Child Learning Disabled?” It’s part of the station’s occasional series called “Health Matters.” The next program, on Oct. 13, will deal with access to health care.