Is there a Vaccine for Shingles
By: Mark MonteiroTotal Views: 114, Word Count: 496,
Shingles is a specific type of illness developed in people over the age of 50. The chickenpox virus experienced in childhood sometimes remains inactive in the body and this result into shingles at a later point. Is there a vaccine for shingles? Yes, definitely. Like we have chickenpox vaccine available in market, shingles vaccine is also available in market. It is known as varicella vaccine.
This shingles vaccination has shown a drastic decrease in incidence of shingles. A vaccine for the shingles virus became available in 2006.
Varicella Vaccine for shingles
According to US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), doctors use shingles vaccination for people above 60. Those who have weakened immune systems due to treatments or some kind of auto immune disorders may not get benefit from this vaccination. It is also not applicable for pregnant woman.
Important Aspects of Shingles Vaccine
- The varicella vaccine is basically an attenuated vaccine made up of chickenpox virus that protects against viral disease as Herpes zoster (Shingles virus), chickenpox, and postherpetic neuralgia.
- Zostavax shingle vaccine dose is simply larger than the normal dose of Varivax.
· According to data of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), all this vaccine prevents about 51% of shingles cases.
· This vaccine is not useful for patients with already had shingles disease. It only prevents or reduces complications of the disease.
Administration of Shingle Vaccine
This vaccine can be given in the fatty tissue. It can also be given to children above 13 years in different quantity of dose.
Side Effects
· There are very less or rare serious side effects involved in this vaccination. Some severe reactions as side effects are reported as pneumonia, seizures, and anaphylaxis.
· Side effects of this vaccine are mild and only at injection site causing erythema i.e. skin redness, swelling, pain or tenderness of the site, and itching.
Controversy
It is claimed that sometimes adult shingles get increased after taking this varicella vaccine. It is observed according to data of Antelope Valley Varicella Surveillance Project (VASP) of shingles in 2000.
Additional controversy is also noted because of the use of cell lines derived from aborted fetal tissue in the development of this vaccine. And thus, this reduces the ethics and beliefs of people who oppose the use of aborted fetal tissue
Immunity Span
Vaccinated children lose their antibody in as little as five to eight years of span.
According to the World Health Organization, the immunity period is shown up to 20 years in Japan and 10 years in the United States.
From this, we can have the answer of is there a vaccine for shingles? Provided the person who is taking it should be above 60 years. This vaccine reduces risk of getting shingles. Keep in mind that shingles develop when the immune system becomes weak, so it is beneficial to take a step of vaccination as a preventive measure to avoid shingles.
About the Author
Dr. Mark Monteiro is graduated from the Hazard University and done his MBA from the he University Of Illinois College Of Medicine. Currently he is working as general physician at Elmhurst Loyola Center for Health. For over 15 years he has been a pioneer in the field of physician health. He has contributed to the treatment of many diseases like- ASTHMA, TUBERCULOSIS, HIV, HEPATITIS AND ITS TREATMENT.
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