What groups of patients are eligible for VariZIG?

Varicella zoster immune globulin, VariZIG (Saol Therapeutics), is recommended for patients without evidence of immunity to varicella who are at high risk for severe varicella and complications, who have been exposed to varicella or herpes zoster, and for whom varicella vaccine is contraindicated. Patient groups recommended by CDC to receive VariZIG include the following:

• Immunocompromised patients without evidence of immunity
• Newborn infants whose mothers have signs and symptoms of varicella around the time of delivery (i.e., 5 days before to 2 days after)
• Hospitalized preterm infants born at 28 weeks or more of gestation whose mothers do not have evidence of immunity to varicella
• Hospitalized preterm infants born at less than 28 weeks of gestation or who weigh 1,000 grams or less at birth, regardless of their mothers’ evidence of immunity to varicella
• Pregnant people without evidence of immunity

CDC recommends administration of VariZIG as soon as possible after exposure to varicella-zoster virus, ideally within 96 hours, but not beyond 10 days after exposure. The most recent recommendations for the use of VariZIG were published in 2013 and are available at www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/wk/mm6228.pdf on pages 574—576.