What Are The Shingles Vaccine Pros And Cons

When a person is exposed to the varicella zoster virus, it can remain latent in the body for many, many years. The shingles vaccine was developed in 2006 to protect the body from a reactivation of chickenpox, which causes painful blistering and complications like brain swelling or the severe pain disorder known as postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). While some people still develop shingles, the vaccine weakens the virus so the symptoms are less severe or life-threatening.

The shingles vaccine, Zostavax, was licensed in 2006 and has been tested on more than 20,000 Americans so far. One dose administered by injection into the upper arm has been shown to reduce the risk of shingles by 50% and the risk of post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) by 67%. The few people who developed shingles, regardless of the vaccine, generally suffered less pain and required less medication treatment than those who were not vaccinated. The vaccine is said to be extremely safe. The only serious risk associated with the vaccine is for people who are allergic to gelatin or the antibiotic neomycin. One in three patients reported redness, soreness or swelling at the injection site. One in seventy patients said they got a headache following their vaccination. People who develop a reaction to the vaccine do so within minutes or an hour of injection, and usually report a sudden fever, difficulty breathing, wheezing, weakness, hives, a quickened heartbeat, dizziness, paleness and throat swelling. If any of these serious symptoms occur, a doctor should be called immediately.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends one dose of the shingles vaccine every 6 years for any adult age 60+, even if they’ve had the chickenpox virus before. It is a fallacy that having the virus once bolsters immunity, as people often relapse after years of dormancy. “People who have had chicken pox have at least a one in ten chance of developing shingles. The risk increases with age,” Dr. Jon Hallberg tells Minnesota Public Radio. “As we get older, our immune system is less capable of fending off things, or in the case of the varicella zoster virus, of keeping it in check,” he explains. Individuals who have the shingles virus should at least wait until the rash has cleared to be vaccinated. The vaccine is most effective when administered to people ages 60-69, but shows promise for those who are older as well.

Some patients wonder, “Can I pass the shingles vaccine onto others? Is shingles contagious in the watered-down vaccine form?” Zostavax is made from a live, attenuated strain of the herpes zoster virus that causes shingles. In rare instances, people have developed a small skin reaction from the vaccine and transmitted the virus to another person. Pregnant women and children who haven’t been vaccinated for chickenpox may be at risk in this case. Therefore, it is generally recommended that patients avoid contact with these high risk candidates for 7-10 days after being vaccinated, if a reaction has developed. If there is no rash, then it’s not necessary to avoid contact with these people.

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