Do You Need the Shingles Vaccine?

Herpes Zoster Vaccination Recommended for Certain Seniors

Oct 10, 2008

A vaccine for adults over 60 has been approved to prevent, but not cure, a shingles outbreak. It is called Zostavax, by Merck.

If you had chickenpox as a child, or were vaccinated as a child against chickenpox with a live form of the varicella-zoster virus, you carry this virus in your body’s nerve cells, lying dormant near the spinal cord. Many health situations are thought to trigger an infection caused by herpes zoster, such as a cold or sunburn, a weakened immune system, extreme stress, chemotherapy, AIDS or HIV, etc. It is not contagious, and usually does not reoccur after an initial outbreak.

Signs of Shingles Infection

You may feel a burning, tingling or itching sensation on one side of the torso, head or face, as the reactivated virus travels along the nerve root until it reaches the skin. In two to three days, a rash with blisters develops, often accompanied by fever and heat at the site. If not caught very early, this rash will run its course in two to four weeks.

Without early intervention, the patient may experience such effects as headache, fever, chills, upset stomach – possibly leading to pneumonia, blindness, encephalitis or very rarely, death.

Once the rash clears up, about 20% of patients experience continuing pain called post-herpetic neuralgia. PHN often does not respond to treatment and may linger for months or even years.

Early Shingles Treatment with Acyclovir

Treatment within 72 hours of discovering the rash with the anti-viral drug Acyclovir usually shortens the duration of the rash and its side effects. One must begin this drug treatment before the onset of PHN, because it will have no effect on the pain after it begins.

Nearly one million cases of shingles occur in the United States every year, and by the age of 85 about one-half of all adults will have suffered the infection. The nerve pain is more likely to affect those over 60, and about 12% of those will have lingering pain for at least three months. It’s a frustrating pain to try to relieve, where even the light touch of clothing is excruciating and the burning or stabbing sensation seems to respond to few medications.

Shingles Vaccine Introduced in 2006 by Merck

Zostavax was licensed in 2006 for use in preventing outbreaks in people over 60, after a study of more than 38,500 men and women 60 and older showed that it prevented about half of cases of shingles and reduced the risk of PHN by two-thirds.[1] The vaccine is given in a single dose injection, and consists of the same live virus as that of chickenpox vaccine but 14 times more powerful. With minimal side effects, it is most effective in people aged 60-69, and its effectiveness diminishes with increasing age.

The vaccine is expensive and is not covered by all insurance plans. Medicare only covers it under Medicare Part D.

It is not recommended for those with weakened immune systems, women who are pregnant or who might become pregnant, or to people with active untreated tuberculosis. Nor should the vaccine be given to anyone who has had a life-threatening allergic reaction to gelatin or the antibiotic neomycin.[2]

The copyright of the article Do You Need the Shingles Vaccine? in Seniors' Health/Medicare is owned by Barbara Bell. Permission to republish Do You Need the Shingles Vaccine? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.