CHICKEN POX VACCINE ASSOCIATED WITH SHINGLES EPIDEMIC Gary S. Goldman, Ph.D.

GarySGoldman wrote:
Vaccination of a child with the varicella (chickenpox) vaccine actually
introduces into the body a live, attenuated (weakened) varicella-zoster
virus which can reactivate at a later time--producing shingles (or
herpes zoster).
However, the vaccine-strain virus is comprised of the Oka-strain which
was derived from a Japanese child. When a vaccinated child in the U.S.
encounters one of the U.S. wild-type strains, the vaccinated child may
experience a subclincal reaction (with no observable rash) or a
breakthrough rash (often less than 50 lesions) due to the encounter
with a child with the natural or wild-type virus. It is believed that
this occurs due to the dissimilarity between the Oka-strain and
wild-type U.S. strain (i.e., the strains are heterologous). The natural
virus then becomes the dominant virus in the body that is more likely to
reactivate. As an example, I just received an e-mail from a parent whose
child was vaccinated at age 1. The child had a breakthrough chickenpox
rash at age 3, and now has shingles at age 10.

Huh. Gary's right, I'm wrong. It's a live virus vaccine.

However, the case you describe is of the wild-type virus reactivating;
are there any known clinical cases of the vaccine strain causing
shingles? I know I could look this up, I'm just lazy.

Beth