SHINGRIX: The Latest in Shingles Prevention

What is Shingles?

Shingles is also known as Herpes Zoster, a disease that primarily occurs in older adults and individuals with a weak immune system. You can only get Shingles if you’ve had chickenpox. Furthermore, Shingles is caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus (varicella zoster virus). This is because the chickenpox virus remains in the body forever but it is not always active.

What happens if you get Shingles?

• A blistering and painful rash may develop anywhere on your body, usually on one side. Even when the rash and blisters disappear, nerve pain (post herpetic neuralgia) may follow, which can last for 3 months or longer.

• The most common body area affected occurs on the side of the back which extends to the waist.

• Other areas where rashes frequently appear include:

• Back

• Waist

• Arm or leg

• Forehead

• Neck

• Around or in the eye

Is Shingles common?

• About 1 million cases each year

• ⅓ of people in the U.S. will develop Shingles in a lifetime

• Most frequently occurs between 50 to 79 years of age

• About 60% of cases occur in women

• Post herpetic neuralgia occurs in 33% of people greater than 60 years of age and the risk for development increase throughout their lifetime

Out with the Old, In with the New

SHINGRIX is the first shingles vaccine approved by the FDA in more than 10 years. SHINGRIX is proven in clinical trials to be more effective than the old shingles vaccine, Zostavax.

Questions?

Feel free to ask any staff or pharmacist here at Love Oak Pharmacy if you have any lingering questions!

Sources:

1. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/shingles/public/shingrix/index.html

2. https://www.zostavax.com/risk/what-is-shingles/

3. https://www.shingrix.com/index.html

4. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/treatment-of-herpes-zoster-in-the-immunocompetent-host?search=shingles&source=search_result&selectedTitle=1~150&usage_type=default&display_rank=1

5. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1603800

6. https://www.healthline.com/health/shingles-pictures