Herpes zoster: yes from the FDA to Zostavax

Herpes zoster, also known as "shingles", is the reactivation of the varicella zoster virus and consists of annoying and painful bubbles that cover the dermis. This pathology mainly affects the elderly (over 60 years of age) and more sporadically young people and adults. The treatment used up to now is the administration of Aciclovir, a known antiviral. However, from today the FDA has authorized the use of a new vaccine, called Zostavax , created specifically for people of a certain age. The effectiveness of the vaccine was tested on a sample of 38,000 people, divided equally between those who were injected with the drug and those who, as is now the practice in every test, were given a simple placebo. All this to evaluate the effective capacity of the medicine.

The results were surprising: in fact, a 50% decrease in cases was observed, rising up to 64% in patients aged between 60 and 69 years. Furthermore, in people affected by shingles, the duration of pain was halved. The side effects of Zostavax that have already been observed are: redness, pain and swelling around the injection site, along with itching and headaches.

[via FDA | Zostavax ]