Is There a Vaccine for Shingles?

Shingles does not always result in severe complications. A lot of people however would understandably be interested in a vaccine for shingles because shingles can be very painful and inconvenient. What is the current status of the vaccine for shingles?

Shingles Disease

Shingles is caused by the reactivation of the varicella zoster virus in people who have had chicken pox before. Anyone can get sick of shingles but a reactivation does not often happen immediately or in the succeeding years after getting sick with chicken pox. Shingles are often triggered when a person suffers a weakening of the immune system for some reason. Adults over 50 and 60 are at risk of getting shingles because they are no longer as strong and healthy as when they were younger. Shingles manifests itself in painful red blisters. An affected individual may also experience flu like symptoms.

The Figures

Statistics say that at least 95% of the millions of Americans over 60 have had chicken pox. This means that most elderly individuals are in need of a vaccine for shingles to prevent the risk of getting sick again with shingles. It is believed that about 20% of those who had chicken pox as children will eventually develop shingles.

Vaccination

In the past the only chance of preventing shingles was not through a vaccine for shingles but through a vaccine for chicken pox. The vaccine however could not prevent shingles in individuals who have already had chicken pox. In 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a vaccine for shingles. It can only be safely and effectively used however on individuals who are over 60. The vaccine also cannot be used to treat shingles on the elderly who already have the disease. It also cannot prevent post herpetic neuralgia which is a chronic kind of pain that may follow shingles.

The Study

The study that was conducted to test the vaccine for shingles involved around 20,000 or more people. The participants were all 60 years old and above. It was discovered that the vaccine for shingles was most effective for people who were 60 and above but not yet 70. It was also determined that the vaccine for shingles was only effective in stopping shingles in only a little over 50% of the participants.

Limitations

The fact that the vaccine for shingles worked only for half of the participants of the study means that it may not prevent shingles all the time. It is also not certain up to when the vaccine for shingles will be effective in immunized people.

One other obvious limitation of the vaccine for shingles is that it can only be used for the elderly. This is as determined by the FDA since the vaccine has not been tested on younger patients. It has also been advised that individuals who have weak immune systems due to severe illnesses like cancer and AIDS cannot also benefit from the vaccine. Obviously, immunocompromised individuals and those who are severely sick might not be able to fight off the small doses of varicella zoster virus contained in the vaccine.