Varicella and herpes zoster vaccines: WHO position paper, June 2014

Overview

This updated position paper on varicella (chickenpox) and herpes zoster (shingles) vaccines replaces the previous 1998 WHO position paper on varicella vaccines and summarizes recent developments in the field. It integrates new information related to global prevalence and burden of disease caused by varicella and herpes zoster (HZ) with data on the safety, immunogenicity, efficacy and effectiveness of varicella and HZ vaccines and the duration of protection conferred by these vaccines, as well as cost effectiveness considerations. Recommendations on the use of varicella and HZ vaccines were discussed by SAGE in April 2014.