Prevention of Herpes Zoster – Updated Guidelines
posted in - Medical Updates, - Palmdoc |You may be interested to read the updated Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on the Prevention of Herpes Zoster, particularly the recommendations for the use of Zoster Vaccination.
The CDC is now recommending Routine Vaccination of Persons Aged >60 Years
ACIP recommends routine vaccination of all persons aged >60 years with 1 dose of zoster vaccine. Persons who report a previous episode of zoster and persons with chronic medical conditions (e.g., chronic renal failure, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, and chronic pulmonary disease) can be vaccinated unless those conditions are contraindications or precautions. Zoster vaccination is not indicated to treat acute zoster, to prevent persons with acute zoster from developing PHN, or to treat ongoing PHN. Before routine administration of zoster vaccine, it is not necessary to ask patients about their history of varicella (chickenpox) or to conduct serologic testing for varicella immunity.
The zoster vaccine, ZOSTAVAX®, is a live, attenuated vaccine containing Oka/Merck strain VZV. The vaccine is similar to the varicella vaccine, VARIVAX®, except the minimum PFU-content of the ZOSTAVAX® is at least 14-fold higher than the minimum PFU-content of VARIVAX®.
I don’t believe it’s available in Malaysia at the moment.
More info:
Herpes zoster (Wikipedia)
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