Varicella vaccine seen in children. The incidence of herpes zoster in vaccinated adults is 0.9/1000 person-years, and is 0.33/1000 person-years in vaccinated children; this is lower than the overall incidence of 3.2–4.2/1000 person-years. Adult shingles cases may increase after introduction of varicella vaccine, but evidence is unclear. While research using computer models has tended to support the hypothesis that vaccination programs would increase incidence of zoster in the short term, the evidence from epidemiological studies is mixed, and increases observed in zoster incidence in some studies may not be related to vaccination programs, as the incidence increases prior to the varicella vaccine
Rare disease treated, are excluded from their definition. The definitions used in the medical literature and by national health plans are similarly divided, with definitions ranging from 1/1,000 to 1/200,000. Because of definitions that include reference to treatment availability, a lack of resources, and severity of the disease, the term "orphan disease" is used as a synonym for "rare disease". But in the United States and the European Union, "orphan diseases" have a distinct legal meaning. The United States' Orphan Drug Act includes both rare diseases and any non-rare diseases "for which there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing