Shingles is a viral disease caused by varicella-zoster virus. It can occur on any part of the body and causes a painful rash. However, this disease or infection is found on the torso. Vaccinations are used to reduce the chances of infection as well as reducing severe complications of this infection. It is important to note that this infection cannot be classified as life threatening condition.
Gillian M.Keating in his article “Shingles (Herpes Zoster) Vaccine (Zostavax): A Review of Its Use in the Prevention of Herpes Zoster and Post-herpetic Neuralgia in Adults Aged ≥50 Years”, analyses the use of Zostavax, a vaccine meant for the shingles infection. The article focuses on the effectiveness of the vaccine in adults aged fifty and beyond. The vaccine, Zostavax, is developed from living and attenuated herpes zoster (p. 1227).
In this article, Gillian focuses on this infection from different perspectives. These include its immunogenicity (a capability to provoke an immune reaction), its protective efficacy (its capability to be effective in the long term), its safety and tolerability, the pharma-economic aspects as well as how it is administered (p. 1228). The article derives its analyses from results of the Shingles Prevention Study as well as the Zostavax Efficacy and Safety Trial (ZEST) from a European point of view. Thus, much focus was placed on the efficacy and safety (p.1229).
The results indicated that Zostavax reduces the burden and pain of illness as well as incidences of infection among adults aged 50-59 years by 69.8%, 63.9% for adults aged 60-69 years and 37.7% for adults beyond 70 years of age (p. 1241).
Works Cited
Keating, Gillian M. "Shingles (Herpes Zoster) Vaccine (Zostavax): A Review of Its Use in the Prevention of Herpes Zoster and Postherpetic Neuralgia in Adults Aged ‡50 Years." ADIS DRUG EVALUATION 73 (2013): 1227-1244. Web. <DOI 10.1007/s40265-013-0088-1>.
