Epidemiological Characteristics of Varicella and Varicella Vaccination Rates Among Population Aged 1～17 from 2014 to 2023 in Shouguang

Li Bing; Peng Peng; Zhang Yong

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1001-568X.2025.12.0023

Abstract：OBJECTIVE To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of varicella in Shouguang from 2014 to 2023 and the coverage of varicella vaccine(VarV)in the population aged 1～17 years,providing reference and basis for the prevention and control of varicella.METHODS The cases of varicella reported by the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention in Shouguang from 2014 to 2023 were collected.Descriptive epidemiological method was used to analyze the incidence of varicella.RESULTS A total of 957 varicella cases were reported in Shouguang from 2014 to 2023,with an average annual incidence of 8.72/105.There were statistically significant differences in the incidence rates between genders(x2=30.01,P＜0.05).The average annual reported incidence of the total population,was a increasing trend from 2014 to 2021,as shown by the annual percentage change(APC)of 13.98％(95％CI:-3.88％～35.14％),and then the trend rapid decreased from 2021 to 2023,with the APC of-57.23％(95％CI:92.83％～155.10％).The high incidence period of varicella was May to July and November to January of the next year.There were statistically significant differences in the incidence rates between genders,The reported incidence was highest in 10～14 years old(50.54/105).The incidence of different age groups was compared,and the difference was statistically significant(x2=2 619.03,P＜0.05).The main morbidity crowds were students(652 cases,68.13％)and scattered children(81 cases,8.46％).A total of 265 247 doses of VarV were inoculated in Shouguang from 2014 to 2023.The vaccination rate of the VarV1 and VarV2 in school-age children showed a fluctuating upward trend,with the AAPC of 7.13％(95％CI:2.74％～11.71％)and 15.95％(95％CI:6.54％～26.19％),respectively.The variation trends were statistically significant(P＜0.05).CONCLUSION Shouguang should strengthen the publicity and education of varicella prevention knowledge,increase the vaccination rate of VarV2,and further reduce the incidence of varicella.