Varicella and Herpes Zoster

THE spectrum of common contagious diseases of childhood in the United States has changed dramatically over the past 25 years. After cultivation of the viruses causing poliomyelitis, rubella, and mumps, effective vaccines rapidly became available. Varicella, however, remains uncontrolled, even though the etiologic agent was isolated 30 years ago.1 Cultural and serologic studies at that time provided firm support for the hypothesis that the etiologic agents of varicella and zoster are identical, and the agent was termed varicella–zoster virus.2 3 4 Earlier, Garland,5 a pediatrician and a distinguished editor of the Journal, had suggested that clinical zoster reflects the activation of . . .