Q. Who should get the shingles vaccine, and why? A. Shingles
(herpes zoster) is a reemergence of the virus that causes
chickenpox. The virus lies dormant in nerves after infection,
and can reactivate later in life, causing a temporary but
painful rash in the skin. In some cases, shingles can leave
long-term nerve pain at the site of the outbreak. Nearly one in
three Americans will develop it, and symptoms are often worse
with age. A shingles vaccine (Zostavax) is now available, and is
recommended for anyone over the age of 60, provided they don’t
have severely depressed immunity because of a medical condition
or medications. Although it targets the same virus as the
chickenpox vaccine, rather than preventing infection it helps
the immune system control the virus that is already present.
“The idea is to prevent something that for many people can be
very disabling,” says Elisa Choi, an infectious disease
specialist at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates. In a clinical
trial of adults over 60, the vaccine reduce