Authors' reply

EDITOR,—Paul Buss and Isobel Burnett express concern about our recommendation that varicella-zoster immunoglobulin should be given to non-immune patients exposed to chickenpox who have received systemic steroids within the previous three months, a recommendation made by the Committee on Safety of Medicines earlier last year.1 Depression of cell mediated immune responses occurs within four to six hours of administration of steroids. Therefore a short course of steroids given within the incubation period of chickenpox might impair host responses.2 Even if short courses …