PEDIATRICS Vol. 82 No. 6 December 1988, pp. 953-954
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Passive Immunization Against Varicella in Children Receiving Cancer Chemotherapy

SANDOR FELDMAN MD1 and LENNIE LOTT RN, PNP2

1 Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 N State St, Jackson, MS 39216-4505
2 Division of Infectious Diseases, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, 322 N Lauderdale, PO Box 318, Memphis, TN 38105

In Reply.—

Our review1 did not reveal or imply that passive immunoprophylaxis was not effective in preventing or modifying varicella in children with cancer. Individual patients benefited from immunoprophylaxis. Overall, this form of prevention cannot be expected to statistically decrease the frequency of varicella in a childhood cancer population. The number of children at risk is large, whereas the number of children in whom the infection develops is relatively small. Too few children receive prophylaxis to have a statistical impact on the number of cases relative to the large number of children at risk.