Table 2.
Average Annual Number and Rates of Varicella-Related Deaths, by Age Group (Selected Years) and Percentage Decline of Mortality Rates in 2005–2007 (Mature 1-Dose Period) and 2017–2019 (Mature 2-Dose Period) Compared with 1990–1995 (Prevaccine)—United States, 1990–2019
| Varicella Listed as Underlying Cause of Death | Varicella Listed as Contributing Cause of Death | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990–1994a | 1999–2001b | 2005–2007c | 2012–2016d | 2017–2019e | 1990–1994a | 1999–2001b | 2005–2007c | 2012–2016d | 2017–2019 | |
| Total Average No. of Deaths per Year | 105 | 39.3 | 15 | 9.6 | 18.0 | 39.6 | 26.7 | 20.3 | 10.0 | 11.3 |
| Average No. (%) of Deaths per Year | ||||||||||
| Age Group (Years) | ||||||||||
| <1 | 8.8 (8.4) | 1.7 (4.3) | 0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 3 (7.6) | 0.7 (2.6) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) |
| 1–4 | 13.2 (12.6) | 1.3 (3.3) | 0.7 (4.4) | 0.2 (2.1) | 0.3 (1.9) | 5.2 (13.1) | 0.7 (2.6) | 0.7 (3.3) | 0.2 (2.0) | 0.0 (0.0) |
| 5–9 | 15.6 (14.9) | 2 (5.1) | 0.3 (2.2) | 0.4 (4.2) | 0.0 (0.0) | 3.2 (8.1) | 2.3 (8.6) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) |
| 10–19 | 10.4 (9.9) | 3.3 (8.4) | 0.7 (4.4) | 0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 2.2 (5.6) | 1 (3.7) | 0.3 (1.6) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) |
| <20 | 48 (45.2) | 8.3 (21.6) | 1.7 (11.1) | 0.6 (6.3) | 0.3 (1.9) | 13.6 (34.4) | 4.7 (17.5) | 1 (4.9) | 0.2 (2.0) | 0.0 (0.0) |
| 20–49 | 35.6 (33.9) | 9.7 (24.7) | 3.3 (22.2) | 1.8 (18.8) | 2.3 (13.0) | 11.6 (29.3) | 7 (26.3) | 3.0 (14.8) | 2.4 (24.0) | 1.7 (14.7) |
| <50 | 83.6 (79.6) | 18 (45.8) | 5 (33.3) | 2.4 (25.0) | 2.7 (14.8) | 25.2 (63.7) | 11.7 (43.8) | 4 (19.7) | 2.6 (26.0) | 1.7 (14.7) |
| ≥50 | 21.4 (20.4) | 21.3 (54.2) | 10.0 (66.7) | 7.2 (75.0) | 15.3 (85.2) | 14.4 (36.4) | 15 (56.2) | 16.3 (80.3) | 7.4 (74.0) | 9.6 (85.3) |
| Mortality Rates/1 Million Population | ||||||||||
| <20 | 0.65 | 0.10 | 0.02 | 0.007 | 0.004 | 0.18 | 0.06 | 0.01 | 0.002 | 0.00 |
| 20–49 | 0.30 | 0.08 | 0.03 | 0.014 | 0.02 | 0.1 | 0.06 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.01 |
| <50 | 0.44 | 0.09 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.13 | 0.06 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| ≥50 | 0.33 | 0.28 | 0.11 | 0.07 | 0.13 | 0.22 | 0.2 | 0.18 | 0.07 | 0.08 |
| Overallf | 0.41 | 0.14 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.05 | 0.16 | 0.10 | 0.06 | 0.03 | 0.03 |
| %Decline in Mortality Ratesg | ||||||||||
| 2005–2007 vs. | 2017–2019 vs. | 2005–2007 vs. | 2017–2019 vs. | |||||||
| 1990–1994 | 1990–1994 | 1990–1994 | 1990–1994 | |||||||
| <20 | 96.9 | 99.4 | 94.4 | 100.0 | ||||||
| 20–49 | 90.0 | 94.0 | 80.0 | 87.1 | ||||||
| <50 | 95.5 | 97.1 | 84.6 | 93.9 | ||||||
| ≥50 | 66.7 | 59.8 | 18.2NS | 61.9 | ||||||
| Overall | 87.8 | 88.9 | 62.5 | 82.1 | ||||||
Abbreviations: NS, not statistically significant.
NOTE: Percentage decline 2017–2019 vs 2005–2007: for varicella as the underlying cause of death: 9.2% overall, by age group: 79.6% in <20 years, 39.9% in 20–49 years, 36.9% in <50 years, −20.7% in ≥50 years; for varicella as the contributing cause of death: 52.3% overall, by age group: 100% in <20 years, 35.6% in 20–49 years, 60.5% in <50 years, 53.5 in ≥50 years.
Data from Meyer et al [3].
Data from Nguyen et al [7].
Data from Marin et al [12].
Data from Leung et al [13].
During 2017–2019, the annual numbers of varicella deaths with varicella as the underlying cause of death were 16, 20, and 18 in 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively. During this period, 1 death occurred among persons aged <20 years, in a foreign-born child in the 1- to 4-year-old group (2019). Among 20- to 49-year-olds, the annual numbers of varicella deaths were 4, 2, and 1 in 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively.
Rates are age-adjusted for 2000 US Census population.
Decline statistically significant unless otherwise indicated, P < .05.