Shingles vaccine associated with 55% reduced risk of disease

Receiving the herpes zoster vaccine was associated with a 55% reduced risk of developing shingles, according to a Kaiser Permanente study of 300,000 people that appears in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

According to a separate report by Bloomberg, the vaccine used was Merck & Co’s Zostavax, however the vaccine generated sales of just $136 million in the first nine months of 2009. Although covered by Medicare Part D in the USA, it may not be paid for by private insurers so, at a cost of $219, may be one reason for poor uptake by patients. Lack of knowledge could also be a reason for its low use.

This retrospective study observed the outcomes of the effectiveness of the herpes zoster vaccine in a large, diverse population of men and women aged 60 years and older. Researchers found a significant reduced risk of shingles across all sub-groups - those who are healthy as well as those with chronic conditions including diabetes or heart, lung or kidney diseases.