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How Effective Is The New Shingles Vaccine

What Can I Expect After Getting The Vaccine

New, More Effective Shingles Vaccine In High Demand

Shingrix is a two-part vaccine with the second dose given 2-6 months after the first. If you miss this timeframe, then you do not have to repeat the series. The vaccine is given into the muscle, much like an influenza, pneumonia or tetanus vaccine.

Once you get the vaccine, you are more likely to experience fatigue, achy muscles, fever, shivering or upset stomach compared to the older vaccine. Approximately 11 percent of people who get the vaccine reported these flu-like symptoms and another nine percent reported mild pain, redness, and swelling at the site of the injection. These symptoms are more likely to occur after the second dose and typically resolve in a few days.

Shingrix represents a real opportunity to protect ourselves against a debilitating disease with remarkable and long-lasting effectiveness. Speak with your Methodist Physicians Clinic primary care provider about being vaccinated.

Is The Shingles Vaccine Safe

The FDA have approved the use of both shingles vaccines in healthy adults over the age of 50.

However, there are some instances in which a person should not get either vaccine â if they are pregnant or breastfeeding, allergic to any ingredient in the vaccine, or have a weakened immune system, for example.

Cost And Formulary Considerations

Herpes zoster is associated with significant economic and public health costs in the U.S.14 A 2016 cost analysis estimated the annual direct and indirect costs related to herpes zoster as $782 million.15 In addition, the projected cost of herpes zoster in people 65 years and older will be $4.74 billion by 2030.14Table 4 includes a cost comparison between HZ/su and ZVL. The average wholesale price of each Hz/su dose is $173, with a total cost of $346.13 Unlike influenza and pneumococcal vaccines, which are covered by Medicare Part B, herpes zoster vaccines are covered under Medicare Part D, which may present an economic challenge for many Medicare recipients.14

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Coadministration With Influenza Vaccine

A total of 828 patients were included in the study, 413 in the co-administration group and 415 in the control group. Among coadministration patients, VRR was 95.8% , and anti-gE GMC ratio was 1.08 . Immunogenicity to the IIV4 vaccine was also noninferior between the groups. This study demonstrated that immune responses to both HZ/su and IIV4 were not affected by coadministration.12

Counseling Patients About Shingrix

Shingles vaccine is a must for those over 50

Know the benefits and side effects of Shingrix so youre prepared to talk with your patients before administering the vaccine.

What to tell patients about Shingrix benefits:

  • You can protect yourself against shingles. Shingles is a very painful disease, and your risk of getting it increases as you age. Also, you are more likely to have severe, long-term pain if you get shingles when you are older. About 1 out of every 3 people in the United States will develop shingles in their lifetime.
  • Shingrix provides strong protection against shingles and long-term pain from the disease. Two doses of Shingrix are more than 90% effective at preventing shingles. So its very important that you get this vaccine.

What to tell patients about Shingrix side effects:

What to tell patients about dose two:

  • You need to come back in 2 to 6 months for your second dose. We can make that appointment now.
  • Even if you have side effects from the first dose, it is important to get the second dose to build strong protection against shingles. Your reaction to each dose may be different just because you have a reaction to the first dose does not mean that you will have a reaction to the second.

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New Shingles Vaccine: What You Need To Know

Nov. 13, 2019 — Unlike some vaccines, thereâs been so much demand for the new shingles vaccineShingrix that itâs not always easy to find. It was approved in 2017, and the CDC recommends the vaccine for adults 50 and older to prevent this painful, blistering illness. It is being used in place of the previous vaccine, Zostavax.

More than a year later, doctors say they are learning more about how it works, its safety risks, and how it compares to Zostavax.

How effective is Shingrix?

âIt’s just remarkable,” says Wilbur Chen, MD, an associate professor of medicine at the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine. “It has performed better than I expected.”

In studies, Shingrix was more than 97% effective at preventing shingles in people 50 and older. It works just as well in older adults, who are at greater risk for a painful shingles complication called postherpetic neuralgia . “When 70- and 80-year-olds get shingles, it can be extremely debilitating,” Chen says.

By contrast, Zostavax cuts the risk of shingles by only 51% and PHN by 67%. It’s only about 38% effective in people over age 70.

How safe is Shingrix?

“So far so good,” Schaffner says. The main side effect is soreness in the arm where you get the shot.

Other side effects are mild and usually last for 2 to 3 days, including:

Who shouldn’t get Shingrix?

Can I get the Shingrix vaccine now?

What do doctors still need to learn about Shingrix?

Shingles Vaccine And Insurance

Private health insurance plans often cover vaccination costs. Still, a patient might have a charge depending on the specific insurance plan.

Medicaid may or may not cover the vaccine cost.Medicare Part D plans cover the shingles vaccine, but there may be a cost to the patient depending on the plan. Usually, the fees are less than $50 per dose.

Medicare Part B does not cover the shingles vaccine.

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Is Shingrix Or Zostavax Better

Shingrix is more effective than Zostavax. Shingrix is 97% effective at preventing shingles in adults aged 50 to 69 years old whereas Zostavax is only 70% effective at preventing shingles in the same age group. Shingrix consistently prevents shingles in older adults while the effectiveness of Zostavax decreases with increasing age. However, Shingrix has more systemic side effects than Zostavax.

Is Shingrix Or Zostavax More Effective

New vaccine is 90 percent effective in preventing shingles

Shingrix and Zostavax have both been proven to prevent shingles. However, Shingrix is a newer vaccine that is considered more effective than Zostavax. Shingrix is even recommended for those who have already received the Zostavax vaccine in the past.

Clinical trials have shown that Shingrix is 97% effective at preventing shingles in adults aged 50 to 69 years old. Shingrix is also effective in preventing shingles in older adultsadults over the age of 70, Shingrix is 91% effective.

Zostavax has a 70% efficacy rate in preventing shingles in adults aged 50 to 69 years old, according to the Zoster Efficacy and Safety Trial . Results from the Shingles Prevention Study showed that Zostavax is 51% effective against shingles. Compared to Shingrix, the effectiveness of Zostavax decreases in older age groups. Based on the SPS results, Zostavax is 64% effective in adults aged 60 to 69 years old 41% effective in adults aged 70 to 79 years old and 18% effective in adults aged 80 years and older.

Your healthcare provider will most likely recommend Shingrix over Zostavax. Shingrix is especially recommended for immunocompromised patients since it is a non-live vaccine. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about which shingles vaccine is right for you.

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When Should I See A Doctor Because Of The Side Effects I Experience From Shingrix

Shingrix causes a strong response in your immune system, so it may produce short-term side effects. These side effects can be uncomfortable, but they are expected and usually go away on their own in 2 or 3 days. You may choose to take over-the-counter pain medicine such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Contact your healthcare provider if the symptoms are not improving or if they are getting worse.

In clinical trials, Shingrix was not associated with serious adverse events. In fact, serious side effects from vaccines are extremely rare. For example, for every 1 million doses of a vaccine given, only one or two people might have a severe allergic reaction. Signs of an allergic reaction happen within minutes or hours after vaccination and include hives, swelling of the face and throat, difficulty breathing, a fast heartbeat, dizziness, or weakness. If you experience these or any other life-threatening symptoms, see a doctor right away.

What Are The Advantages Of Getting The Shingles Vaccine

The shingles vaccine reduces your risk of getting shingles. Shingles causes a painful rash that usually develops on one side of your body or face. Some people describe the pain as an intense burning or shooting sensation. The rash is often a single strip that wraps around one side of your body or is on one side of your face. It consists of blisters that normally crust over in seven to 10 days. The rash generally clears up within a month.

Some people with shingles also experience additional symptoms including fever, headache, chills or upset stomach.

For some people, the pain from the rash can last for months or even years after the rash goes away. This long-term pain is called postherpetic neuralgia , and it is the most common complication of shingles.

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Know Your Risk Of Getting Shingles And Complications

About 1 out of every 3 people in the United States will develop shingles during their lifetime.

If youve had chickenpox, you are at risk for shingles. More than 99% of Americans born before 1980 have had chickenpox, even if they dont remember it.

Your risk of getting shingles and having serious complications increases as you get older.

About 1 in 10 people who get shingles develop nerve pain that lasts for months or years after the rash goes away. This is called postherpetic neuralgia and is the most common complication of shingles.

Shingles may lead to other serious complications involving the eye, including blindness. Very rarely, it can also lead to pneumonia, hearing problems, brain inflammation or death.

Shingrix Vaccine Efficacy And Duration Of Protection

Shingles vaccine side effects mostly mild, CDC says

Among immunocompetent adults 50 years and older, the efficacy of two doses of Shingrix for the prevention of herpes zoster was high among all age groups. In a clinical trial of more than 30,000 participants, vaccine efficacy was 96.6% in adults aged 50 to 59 years, 97.4% in adults aged 60 to 69 years, and 91.3% in adults aged 70 years and older.

The efficacy of two doses of Shingrix for the prevention of postherpetic neuralgia was high: 91.2% in adults aged 50 years and older, and 88.8% in adults aged 70 years and older.

Vaccine efficacy was estimated among several immunocompromised groups:

  • 68.2% among adult autologous hematopoietic cell transplant recipients.
  • 87.2% in a post hoc efficacy analysis of adult patients with hematologic malignancies.
  • 90.5% in a post hoc efficacy analysis of adult patients with immune-mediated diseases who were not taking immunosuppressive medication.

In immunocompetent adults 70 years and older, vaccine efficacy remained high, at or above 84% in all 7 years after vaccination.

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How Well Does Zostavax Work

Zostavax®, the shingles vaccine, reduced the risk of shingles by 51% and the risk of post-herpetic neuralgia by 67% based on a large study of more than 38,000 adults aged 60 years or older. Protection from shingles vaccine lasts about 5 years.

While the vaccine was most effective in people 60 through 69 years old, it also provides some protection for people 70 years old and older.

Adults vaccinated before age 60 years might not be protected later in life when the risk for shingles and its complications are greatest.

Long Term Side Effects

In rare cases, the live shingles vaccine, Zostavax, can cause a skin rash or shingles.

The rash that occurs with shingles can affect any area of the body, but it often appears as a line of blisters that wraps around the torso.

Within a few days the blisters cluster, and they continue to form for several more days. The blisters can take 2â3 weeks to heal, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

Other common symptoms of shingles include:

two shingles vaccines for adults: the recombinant zoster vaccine and the zoster virus vaccine .

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Prior Vaccination With Zoster Vaccine Live

Grupping et al. performed a phase 3, open-label, group-matched, non-inferiority, multicenter study in adults aged 65 or older, previously vaccinated with ZVL within five years or more and matched to adults who were ZVL-naïve .11 Participants received two IM doses of HZ/su two months apart. Patients were excluded if they had received a live vaccine within 30 days or any investigational drug or vaccine within 30 days, were on any immunosuppressants or immune-modifying drugs within a specific timeframe, or had a history of herpes zoster. The primary study objectives were to compare the noninferiority of humoral immune responses one month after the second HZ/su dose between the HZ-PreVac and HZ-NonVac groups, and to evaluate the safety and reactogenicity up to one month after the second dose of HZ/su in both groups. Noninferiority of the humoral immune response was determined if the upper limit of the 95% CI of the adjusted anti-gE geometric mean concentration ratio of HZ-NonVac over HZ-PreVac was < 1.5.11

In 430 participants, the humoral immune response to HZ/su was non-inferior in the HZ-PreVac group compared with the HZ-NonVac group . There were also no differences seen in CD4+ T cells between the groups. The study showed that HZ/su elicits a strong immune response regardless of prior ZVL vaccination.11

Cvs Pharmacy Now Offering New Shingles Vaccine At Locations Nationwide

New shingles vaccine is 90 percent effective, doctors say

More than 9,800 CVS Pharmacy locations have the Shingrix vaccine in stock for patients

WOONSOCKET, R.I., March 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — CVS Pharmacy, the retail division of CVS Health , announced today that all of its more than 9,800 pharmacies have the new Shingrix vaccine available for patients.1 The new vaccine was licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2017 and is now recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

Healthy adults age 50 and older are recommended to get two doses of Shingrix, two to six months apart, to prevent shingles and reduce the course and severity of the disease. The Shingrix vaccine is considered more than 90 percent effective at preventing shingles and protection stays above 85 percent for at least the first four years after a patient is vaccinated.

Ninety-nine percent of people ages 50 and older are at risk of getting shingles, a painful rash that is also known as herpes zoster, in their lifetime. There are an estimated one million cases of shingles each year in the U.S. It is recommended that patients who have had shingles, have previously received the Zostavax vaccine,2 or who are unsure if they have had chickenpox, receive the Shingrix vaccine. Anyone who has recovered from chickenpox may develop shingles, including children, although the risk of shingles increases as people age.

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The 1970s Vaccine Success

During the 1970s, one vaccine was eliminated. Because of successful eradication efforts, the smallpox vaccine was no longer recommended for use after 1972. While vaccine research continued, new vaccines were not introduced during the 1970s.

Late 1970s | Recommended Vaccines

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How Well Does Shingrix Work

Two doses of Shingrix provide strong protection against shingles and postherpetic neuralgia , the most common complication of shingles.

  • In adults 50 to 69 years old with healthy immune systems, Shingrix was 97% effective in preventing shingles in adults 70 years and older, Shingrix was 91% effective.
  • In adults 50 years and older, Shingrix was 91% effective in preventing PHN in adults 70 years and older, Shingrix was 89% effective.
  • In adults with weakened immune systems, Shingrix was between 68% and 91% effective in preventing shingles, depending on their underlying immunocompromising condition.

In people 70 years and older who had healthy immune systems, Shingrix immunity remained high throughout 7 years following vaccination.

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Introduction: Varicella Zoster Virus: Structure Pathogenesis And Immune Response

Varicella zoster virus is a ubiquitous neurotropic human herpesvirus that causes two distinct diseases. These are primary varicella infection and herpes zoster , a vesicular dermatomal rash that results from reactivation of the latent virus. Along with herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, VZV is part of the alpha herpesvirus family of DNA viruses. Its linear 125-kb double-stranded DNA genome encodes at least 71 unique open-reading frames , with approximately 40 conserved genes shared with other human herpesviruses . The genome is located within an icosahedral capsid, surrounded by a protein tegument and encapsulated by a polyamine, lipid, and glycoprotein envelope . Glycoproteins located within the envelope facilitate viral entry into cells .

After transmission to a susceptible host, VZV proliferates in the oropharynx . During an initial viremic phase, infected T cells transport the virus to skin and possibly other organs, although the lack of suitable animal models of infection limits understanding of the precise mechanisms of VZV pathogenesis . Epidermal replication of the virus to produce cell-free VZV occurs when local antiviral responses have been overcome, the characteristic lesions of varicella appear . The incubation period ranges from 10 to 21 days.

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Who Is A Candidate For The Shingles Vaccine

Shingles vaccine side effects mostly mild, CDC says

Healthy adults aged 50 years and older are candidates for the shingles vaccine Shingrix. There is no age limit, and you can get the Shingrix vaccine even if you have already had shingles, have had the Zostavax vaccine, or do not remember whether you have had chickenpox in the past.

If you have already had shingles, getting the Shingrix can help protect you from the disease coming back. Studies have reported that almost every American aged 40 years and older have more than a 99% chance of having had chickenpox, and people who have had chickenpox are more likely to develop shingles in the future because both are caused by the same virusthe varicella-zoster virus.

After having shingles, there is no duration that you need to wait before getting vaccinated, although you should wait until the rash has completely disappeared. Shringrix is given in 2 doses 2-6 months apart.

Side effects are usually mild and may last for two to three days. No severe side effects for Shingrix have been reported so far.

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