Use of immunization as strategy for outbreak control of varicella zoster in an institutional setting.

BACKGROUND: Outbreaks of varicella gets reported often in India. However, outbreak in health care providers living in closed institutional setting and role of vaccination as post exposure prophylaxis for control of outbreak has not been studied extensively. This paper presents epidemiological investigation and control strategy undertaken in such scenario. METHODS: This is an epidemiological investigation of chickenpox in nursing students which highlights role of early identification and appropriate control strategy to prevent explosive outbreak in high risk vulnerable population. Vaccination of all susceptible in addition to isolation of cases, quarantine of suspects and proper screening for new cases was the major control strategy adopted. RESULTS: The index case was imported and all eight cases occurred within the incubation period of the case. Two cases occurred in students previously vaccinated for chickenpox. No second or third wave of infection occurred showing vaccination as effective tool in outbreak control strategy. CONCLUSION: Early identification of cases and vaccination of all susceptible contributed to effective control of the outbreak.