Clinical observations on varicella-zoster vaccinees treated with immunosuppressants for a malignancy.

Between 1974 and 1983, 60 persons have been immunized at Kyushu University Hospital with a live attenuated varicella-zoster virus vaccine, Oka strain. The recipients were classified into 3 groups: those with a malignancy, those with the nephrotic syndrome and those with diseases not related to immuno-hematologic dyscrasia. The only adverse clinical reactions to the vaccine were skin rash with 3-30 vesicles and a body temperature of 38 C, which were seen in 2/21 (9.5%), 4/16 (25%) and 3/23 (13%) patients in the respective groups within 5 weeks after vaccination. From 6 months to 9 years after the vaccination, exogenous varicella infection occurred in 5/21 (23.8%), 1/16 (6.25%), and 0/23 (0%) patients in the respective groups. It is concluded that for patients with malignancies, revaccination is desirable to ensure the protective effect of the vaccine.