Is the Shingles Vacine Right for You
Is the shingles vacine right for you? If you are over 60 and had chicken pox as a child, there is a shingles vaccine that can help reduce the chances of you getting shingles.
So, what are shingles? Shingles are a painful skin disorder that can occur from a reactivation of the chicken pox virus. The chicken pox virus, also known as herpes zoster, lives in your body even if you have no symptoms of shingles.
The shingles vacine can reduce the chances of you getting shingles by more than half. The shingles vaccine was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 2007.
There are more than a million new cases of shingles in the United States every year. There are two risk factors for shingles, which are increased age and lowered immunity. However, not everyone over 60 is automatically a candidate for the shingles vaccine.
The shingles vacine Zostavax is a stronger version of the chicken pox vaccine. It is usually given as a single injection under the skin, mostly in the arm.
The three-year clinical trial of Zostavax was performed with 38,000 people in the U.S. that were age 60 and older. This study showed that the shingles vaccine Zostavax prevented shingles in approximately half of those randomized to receive the vaccine. Especially good from the study was that in the group aged 60-69, it reduced shingles by 64 percent.
Another good piece of news from this study was among those who developed shingles despite being vaccinated, the duration of pain from the attack was slightly reduced. The most common side effects of the shingles vaccine Zostavax were redness, pain and tenderness, swelling at the site of injection, itching, and headache.
While the shingles vaccine is really good news, there’s no guarantee the vaccine will totally protect anyone from shingles. One doctor from the shingles vaccine study, Dr. Felderman said “I would not be inclined to give the vaccine to a patient who has already had shingles. It’s not that common to have a repeat attack, but when it occurs, it can always be treated with antiviral medication.”
So, is the shingles vaccine right for you? While the vaccine was found to be safe with minimal side effects in people over age 60 in the three-year clinical trial, there will be post-marketing studies to further monitor its safety.
“The vaccine is approved only for people aged 60 and above. It remains to be seen whether there will be general immunization recommendations for all people over age 60. Until there is, insurance carriers may not pay for the vaccine. So there is a cost consideration,” says Dr. Felderman. (The injection is projected to cost $145.) “People also need to understand the vaccine was not 100 percent effective; it will not absolutely guarantee that you won’t get shingles.”
