Passive Immunization against Varicella-Zoster Infections and Other Modes of Therapy

Normal and high-risk children have been passively immunized against varicella by administration of zoster-immune globulin (ZIG) after exposure to chickenpox. ZIG might be efficacious also in newborn infants whose mothers have varicella at delivery or in exposed adults, if a rapid test for susceptibility is developed. Since infection following outbreaks in hospitals is extremely unpredictable, ZIG cannot be evaluated for preventing nosocomial infections. Use of ZIG for prevention of zoster is not ‘indicated for many reasons, but especially since zoster may occur in the face of low titers of antibody. Similarly, ZIG would probably be of little use in the treatment of established varicella or zoster. Recovery from these diseases does not necessarily parallel antibody titers and may depend more on factors other than humoral immunity.