By Ethan Covey
The risks for secondary transmission of the vaccine-strain varicella-zoster virus (Oka strain; vOka) are minimal, according to a study conducted by CDC epidemiologists.
The findings support the use of varicella vaccine for routine immunization and the safety of vaccination of close contacts of people at high risk for severe varicella who have contraindications for vaccination (Pediatrics 2019;144[3]:e20191305).