A population database analysis to describe the residual burden of varicella in Italy—a high vaccination coverage area—from 2004 to 2022

Introduction: In Italy, universal varicella vaccination (VV) started in 2017 with a two-dose schedule administered in children aged 12–15 months and 5–6 years, achieving 90% coverage in 2019, though with regional variations. To address the limitations in surveillance databases for capturing varicella episodes, the study aimed to evaluate the burden of varicella disease in the pediatric population using a primary care database. Methods: This cohort study used data from Pedianet, a comprehensive database of 193 family pediatricians in Italy. The incidence rate (IR) of varicella (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification [ICD-9-CM] codes 052 and 052.0–52.9) was evaluated in children aged below 15 years, from January 2004 to April 2022, categorized by calendar year and region. Subjects were followed up from 2004 or their enrollment date until the end of assistance or the study period. Comorbidities and complications were identified. Results: A total of...