Zostavax
® (
shingles vaccine) is a single-dose vaccine used to prevent
shingles in people 60 years old and older. It is not used to treat an active case of shingles.
Zostavax is made by Merck & Co., Inc.
Shingles is caused by a virus, the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). The initial infection of varicella-zoster virus causes a case of
chickenpox. After the case of chickenpox, the virus never goes away. It remains inactive in certain nerve cells of the body, waiting to become active again (which usually occurs as people age and their immune systems are less able to suppress the virus). Zostavax is a live (but weakened) version of the varicella-zoster virus. Zostavax causes the body to produce an immune system response to the virus, which helps prevent shingles.
Like most vaccines, Zostavax is not 100 percent effective at preventing shingles. Studies have shown than overall, giving Zostavax to people age 60 years and older reduces the chance of shingles by about 50 percent. Like most vaccines, Zostavax is less effective when given to older individuals whose immune systems are less able to produce a response. In people 60 to 69 years old, Zostavax prevented 64 percent of cases of shingles, while in people over the age of 80 years old, the drug prevented only 18 percent of shingles cases.
Even when Zostavax does not prevent shingles, it seems to reduce the complications that can occur from a case of shingles, such as chronic pain ("
postherpetic neuralgia"), scarring, vision problems, and other problems.
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