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CNN Live At Daybreak

'Paging Dr. Gupta'

Aired February 19, 2004 - 08:47   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Doctors recommend chicken pox vaccinations for children between the ages of 12 and 18 months, but a new study now raising some questions about the effectiveness of the vaccine, also about what is the best time for the immunization.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta checks in now from the CNN Center. Good morning, Sanjay.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

It turns out things have changed since you and I got the chicken pox. You and I both got it. But there has been a vaccine that's been around for some time, really FDA approved in this country since 1995. And it's a pretty good vaccine, overall about 87 percent effective in terms of preventing chicken pox, but it turns it makes a difference when you get it and how long it's been since you got it. Let me explain.

"The Journal of the American Medical Association" put the vaccine to the tests, looked at 339 children over about six years to figure out how effective is this vaccine, and does that effectiveness change with age? Take a look at the numbers now. About a year, within a first year after the vaccine, very effective, 97 percent effective. Those numbers change, though, two to eight years later, it drips down to about 84 percent effective, so significantly lower there, although still pretty good protection. Researchers somewhat surprised at that wane in immunity, but maintains that the protection that a child will get, even within the second or eight years after the vaccine, is going to be a milder infection, going to have fewer pox lesions, things like that, so a pretty good vaccine overall.

HEMMER: What did the study say about the best time to give the vaccination?

GUPTA: You know, that's really interesting, because there are curtain recommendations on when children should get vaccines, and immunizations are somewhat of a controversial issue, but the current recommendations are as follows, the American Academy of Pediatrics say one dose of the chicken pox vaccine at 12-18 months, who have never had chicken pox.

Now based on this new study, there may be some new recommendations. Take a look: If a child gets that vaccine younger than 15 months, it's 73 percent effective in the first year, if you wait until the child is 15 months or older -- these are children who have not had chicken pox -- 99 percent, so a significant improvement there if you wait the extra three months. I anticipate that the recommendations will probably change on that particular vaccination, Bill.

HEMMER: And quickly here, the advice for parents whose kids are not vaccinated.

GUPTA: There's been this issue, should you let the kids get the chicken pox, or should you get them the vaccine? Most doctors will probably tell parents that they should go ahead and get their kid vaccinated. While, if you get the chicken pox, the child has a very good chance to just get through it and be fine. If you get the vaccine, you are going to protect against other problems as well, problems such as bacterial infections that are sometimes associated with the chicken pox, viral pneumonia, encephalitis, and shingles, and also, you know, the chicken pox is not considered overall a deadly problem, but it can be in certain cases small numbers of children, adults even can die from chicken pox, 11,000 hospitalizations, about 100 deaths a year in the unvaccinated population. If you get the vaccine, those numbers drop by about 75 percent.

HEMMER: Sanjay, thanks, Sanjay Gupta at the CNN Center.

GUPTA: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired February 19, 2004 - 08:47   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Doctors recommend chicken pox vaccinations for children between the ages of 12 and 18 months, but a new study now raising some questions about the effectiveness of the vaccine, also about what is the best time for the immunization.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta checks in now from the CNN Center. Good morning, Sanjay.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

It turns out things have changed since you and I got the chicken pox. You and I both got it. But there has been a vaccine that's been around for some time, really FDA approved in this country since 1995. And it's a pretty good vaccine, overall about 87 percent effective in terms of preventing chicken pox, but it turns it makes a difference when you get it and how long it's been since you got it. Let me explain.

"The Journal of the American Medical Association" put the vaccine to the tests, looked at 339 children over about six years to figure out how effective is this vaccine, and does that effectiveness change with age? Take a look at the numbers now. About a year, within a first year after the vaccine, very effective, 97 percent effective. Those numbers change, though, two to eight years later, it drips down to about 84 percent effective, so significantly lower there, although still pretty good protection. Researchers somewhat surprised at that wane in immunity, but maintains that the protection that a child will get, even within the second or eight years after the vaccine, is going to be a milder infection, going to have fewer pox lesions, things like that, so a pretty good vaccine overall.

HEMMER: What did the study say about the best time to give the vaccination?

GUPTA: You know, that's really interesting, because there are curtain recommendations on when children should get vaccines, and immunizations are somewhat of a controversial issue, but the current recommendations are as follows, the American Academy of Pediatrics say one dose of the chicken pox vaccine at 12-18 months, who have never had chicken pox.

Now based on this new study, there may be some new recommendations. Take a look: If a child gets that vaccine younger than 15 months, it's 73 percent effective in the first year, if you wait until the child is 15 months or older -- these are children who have not had chicken pox -- 99 percent, so a significant improvement there if you wait the extra three months. I anticipate that the recommendations will probably change on that particular vaccination, Bill.

HEMMER: And quickly here, the advice for parents whose kids are not vaccinated.

GUPTA: There's been this issue, should you let the kids get the chicken pox, or should you get them the vaccine? Most doctors will probably tell parents that they should go ahead and get their kid vaccinated. While, if you get the chicken pox, the child has a very good chance to just get through it and be fine. If you get the vaccine, you are going to protect against other problems as well, problems such as bacterial infections that are sometimes associated with the chicken pox, viral pneumonia, encephalitis, and shingles, and also, you know, the chicken pox is not considered overall a deadly problem, but it can be in certain cases small numbers of children, adults even can die from chicken pox, 11,000 hospitalizations, about 100 deaths a year in the unvaccinated population. If you get the vaccine, those numbers drop by about 75 percent.

HEMMER: Sanjay, thanks, Sanjay Gupta at the CNN Center.

GUPTA: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com