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Herpes Zoster Vaccine Targets Older Adults

Mike Mitka

JAMA. 2006;296:157-158.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

A new vaccine has been approved for use in the United States to reduce the risk of herpes zoster (shingles) in older adults.

The vaccine was approved for licensing on May 26 by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is indicated for patients aged 60 years or older without compromised immune systems. It is expected to reduce by about 50% the risk of shingles, which is caused by a reactivation of the virus (varicella zoster) responsible for chickenpox.

The new vaccine, zoster vaccine live (Oka/Merck) [Zostavax] is a higher dose version of one currently used to prevent chickenpox in children, Varivax. More than 90% of the US population has had chickenpox, and in most cases, the virus remains dormant for years in certain nerve cells. In some individuals, however, the virus reemerges when natural immunity wanes, causing pain and a blistering rash.

A new vaccine that . . . [Full Text of this Article]

POSITIVE STUDY



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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Fostering Successful Aging Through Therapeutic Advances in the Prevention and Management of Herpes Zoster
Cavalieri
JAOA: Journal of the American Osteopathic Association 2007;107:S1-S2.
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