Cohen says. Shingles increases stroke and heart disease risk and may spread to nerves in ways that can cause lifelong pain postherpetic neuralgia , blindness in one eye, deafness in one ear, and other highly debilitating or deadly problems. The only way to avoid these serious risks is to prevent shingles altogether by getting vaccinated against the disease.
The vaccine, which came on the market in , requires two shots, two to six months apart, and is more than 90 percent effective against shingles. Although the Shingrix vaccine works very well in preventing shingles and its devastating effects, Dr. Cohen also wants people to be aware that the vaccine can leave them with a sore arm or flu-like symptoms for several days following each shot. The shingles vaccine protects against herpes zoster shingles infection. Find out about the vaccine and possible side effects.
Shingles vaccine is also called Zostavax. Find more commonly asked questions about the shingles vaccine. Shingles is a painful, itchy skin rash that usually appears around your chest and back, but can also affect your legs or face.
It appears on only one side of your body. Read more about shingles. While shingles can get better on its own, the most common complication occurring in up to 3 in every 10 people with shingles is pain that goes on after the shingles rash has cleared. This is called post-herpetic neuralgia also called nerve pain. Having the shingles vaccine can help prevent shingles and reduce the risk of post-herpetic neuralgia. Read more about post-herpetic neuralgia. Having the shingles vaccine reduces your risk of getting shingles and post-herpetic neuralgia, but the effect of the vaccine differs by age and time since vaccination.
Age at which you get vaccinated The shingles vaccine is most effective at preventing shingles in people aged 50—59 years around 7 in 10 people who are vaccinated are protected and becomes less effective as you get older. It is effective in about 5 in 10 people aged 65—69 years and about 4 in 10 people aged 80 years or older.
Times since vaccination Protection from the shingles vaccine wears off over time. The highest protection against shingles is during the first year after receiving the vaccine. By 6 years after being vaccinated, protection is very low. Booster doses There is no information about whether a booster dose of the shingles vaccine provides any benefit. Although there are no recommendations, adults who have previously received the shingles vaccine can receive a second dose after 1 year.
There are no safety concerns about receiving a second dose. In New Zealand, o ne dose of the shingles vaccine is funded for people aged 65 years. People aged 66—80 years may also receive the funded vaccine until 31 December Some people aged under 65 years who are at increased risk of shingles may also want to think about having the vaccination, although it is not funded for this group. If you would like to have it at a younger or older age, you may need to pay. Ask your doctor or nurse if you are unsure.
The effectiveness of the vaccine does decrease over time so early vaccination may mean that protection is lost in older age when there is a higher risk of developing shingles and its complications.
The shingles vaccine is currently approved for adults aged 50 years and older but is still effective and possible to give to younger adults following informed consent. The shingle vaccine is a live vaccine. This means that it can cause an infection in people with very weakened immune systems and should not be used in people with leukaemia, lymphoma, other conditions affecting your bone marrow, tuberculosis TB or in people having immunosuppressive therapy such as chemotherapy.
It should also not be given to children and pregnant women. If you have had shingles recently, your immunity has been boosted and this reduces the chances of getting shingles again in the short term.
A new study conducted in 18 countries around the world explains why. Shingrix differs significantly from other vaccines that are made from a weakened form of a virus.
It is the first shingles vaccine to combine a non-live antigen with a specifically designed adjuvant. It contains a single protein-glycoprotein E-found in the outer shell of the herpes zoster virus, and an adjuvant to enhance the body's immune response to an antigen.
Since Shingrix does not contain a live virus, it may be a good option for immunocompromised patients at high risk for shingles, for whom Zostavax is contraindicated.
0コメント