people age 50 and older can now get merck's zostavax shingles vaccine. the vaccine already was approved for people age 60 and older. the approval is based on a merck clinical trial that showed the vaccine to be about 70% effective in preventing shingles in the younger age group. the study also found that even when vaccinated 50-somethings did get shingles they suffered far less pain and far shorter bouts of the painful sometimes disabling disease.
who should get the shingles vaccine?