Zoster vaccine
| Vaccine description | |
|---|---|
| Target disease | Herpes zoster, postherpetic neuralgia, Ramsay Hunt syndrome type II, chickenpox |
| Type | Attenuated virus |
| Clinical data | |
| Pregnancy category |
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| Routes of administration |
subcutaneous injection |
| ATC code | |
| Legal status | |
| Legal status |
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| Identifiers | |
| ChemSpider |
|
Zoster vaccine (trade name Zostavax) is a live vaccine developed by Merck & Co. that has been shown to reduce the incidence of herpes zoster (known as shingles) by 51.3% in a study of 38,000 adults aged 60 and older who received the vaccine. The vaccine also reduced by 66.5% the number of cases of postherpetic neuralgia and reduced the severity and duration of pain and discomfort associated with shingles, by 61.1%. The zoster vaccine is, essentially, a larger-than-normal dose of the chickenpox vaccine, as both shingles and chickenpox are caused by the same virus, the varicella zoster virus (VZV).
A Cochrane review concluded that "Herpes zoster vaccine is effective in preventing herpes zoster disease and this protection can last three years". The duration of protection beyond 4 years after vaccination with the zoster vaccine is unknown. The need for re-vaccination has not been defined.
The zoster vaccine was approved and licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2006. The FDA originally recommended it only for individuals 60 years of age or older who met the following requirements:
On October 25, 2006, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to recommend that the zoster vaccine be given to all adults age 60 and over, including those who have had a previous episode of shingles, and those who do not recall having had chickenpox, since more than 99% of Americans ages 40 and older have had chickenpox.
On March 24, 2011, the FDA approved the zoster vaccine for individuals 50 to 59 years of age.
On May 19, 2006, the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) issued a marketing authorisation for the zoster vaccine to Sanofi Pasteur for routine vaccination in individuals aged 60 and over. In 2007, the EMEA updated the marketing authorisation for routine vaccination in individuals aged 50 and over.
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