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Observational Study
. 2023 Oct 27;15(11):2163.
doi: 10.3390/v15112163.

The Epidemiology of Chickenpox in England, 2016-2022: An Observational Study Using General Practitioner Consultations

Megan Bardsley  1 , Paul Loveridge  1 , Natalia G Bednarska  1 , Sue Smith  1 , Roger A Morbey  1 , Gayatri Amirthalingam  2 , William H Elson  3 , Chris Bates  4 , Simon de Lusignan  3 , Daniel Todkill  1 , Alex J Elliot  1
Affiliations
Observational Study

The Epidemiology of Chickenpox in England, 2016-2022: An Observational Study Using General Practitioner Consultations

Megan Bardsley et al. Viruses. .

Abstract

Chickenpox is a common childhood disease caused by varicella-zoster virus (VZV). VZV vaccination is not part of the UK childhood immunisation programme, but its potential inclusion is regularly assessed. It is therefore important to understand the ongoing burden of VZV in the community to inform vaccine policy decisions. General practitioner (GP) chickenpox consultations were studied from 1 September 2016 to 9 December 2022. Over the study period, the mean weekly chickenpox consultation rate per 100,000 population in England was 3.4, with a regular peak occurring between weeks 13 and 15. Overall, rates decreased over time, from a mean weekly rate of 5.5 in 2017 to 4.2 in 2019. The highest mean weekly rates were among children aged 1-4 years. There was no typical epidemic peak during the COVID-19 pandemic, but in 2022, rates were proportionally higher among children aged < 1 year old compared to pre-pandemic years. Chickenpox GP consultation rates decreased in England, continuing a longer-term decline in the community. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted rates, likely caused by the introduction of non-pharmaceutical interventions to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission. The lasting impact of the interruption of typical disease transmission remains to be seen, but it is important to monitor the chickenpox burden to inform decisions on vaccine programmes.

Keywords: chickenpox; general practitioner; primary care; syndromic surveillance; vaccination; varicella; varicella-zoster.

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Conflict of interest statement

S.d.L. is Director of the RCGP Research and Surveillance Centre; through his University, he has had grants not directly relating to this work from Wellcome and UK Food Standards Agency, and from AstraZeneca, Sanofi, and Seqirus for vaccine-related research; additionally, he has membership in advisory boards for AstraZeneca, Sanofi, and Seqirus.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Weekly consultation rate for chickenpox per 100,000 registered population from participating general practitioners (GPs) contributing to the GP in-hours syndromic surveillance system, England, 1 September 2016 to 9 December 2022.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Weekly consultation rate for chickenpox per 100,000 registered population from participating general practitioners (GPs) contributing to the GP in-hours (GPIH) syndromic surveillance system, England, by age group, 1 September 2016 to 9 December 2022.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Weekly consultation rate for chickenpox per 100,000 registered population from participating general practitioners (GPs) contributing to the GP in-hours (GPIH) syndromic surveillance system, England, by sex, 1 September 2016 to 9 December 2022.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Weekly consultation rate for chickenpox per 100,000 registered population from participating general practitioners (GPs) contributing to the GP in-hours (GPIH) syndromic surveillance system, England, for infants aged < 1 year and children aged 1–4 years old, 1 September 2016 to 9 December 2022.
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