Varicella-related Hospitalizations in Turkey

Epidemiological information on varicella complications in children is essential for the development of appropriate immunization recommendations. Economic analyses of varicella immunization are sensitive to the costs of hospitalized cases, so there is a need to validate varicella-related hospitalization data in a country-specific manner. These data also provide a baseline for comparison with data collected after routine varicella immunization to evaluate the overall impact and cost-effectiveness of varicella immunization programs. Knowledge about the cause and incidence of varicella-related hospitalizations in Turkey is limited, center-specific and not sufficiently accurate. The aim of this multicenter study (VARICOMP) was to estimate the annual incidence of pediatric varicella-related hospitalization, describe the associated complications and estimate the annual mortality and economic cost of these cases.