Diurnal rhythms in varicella vaccine effectiveness.

Abstract

BACKGROUNDImmune processes are influenced by circadian rhythms. We evaluate the association between varicella vaccine administration time of day and vaccine effectiveness.METHODSA national cohort, children younger than 6 years, were enrolled between January 2002 and December 2023. We compared children vaccinated during morning (7:00-10:59), late morning to afternoon (11:00-15:59), or evening hours (16:00-19:59). A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to adjust for ethnicity, sex, and comorbidities. The first varicella infection occurring at least 14 days after vaccination and a second dose administration were treated as terminal events.RESULTSOf 251,141 vaccinated children, 4,501 (1.8%) experienced breakthrough infections. Infection rates differed based on vaccination time, with the lowest rates associated with late morning to afternoon (11:00-15:59), HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.82-0.95, P < 0.001, and the highest rates with evening vaccination (16:00-19:59), HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.32-1.52, P < 0.001. Vaccination timing remained significant after adjustment for ethnicity, sex, and comorbidities. The association between immunization time and infection risk followed a sinusoidal pattern, consistent with a diurnal rhythm in vaccine effectiveness.CONCLUSIONWe report a significant association between the time of varicella vaccination and its clinical effectiveness. Similar association was observed with the COVID-19 vaccine, providing proof of concept consistent with a diurnal rhythm in vaccine effectiveness.