Urgent need to expand use of shingles vaccine and treat
shingles-related pain Shingles, a reactivation of the herpes
zoster (chickenpox) virus affects nearly 1 in 3 Americans. About
1 million cases are diagnosed each year, with some patients
suffering excruciating pain and itching due to post-herpetic
neuralgia (PHN), a complication of the viral infection that can
last for years despite treatment. The latest information on
shingles and PHN, including a new, improved vaccine to prevent
shingles and alternative therapies to control symptoms, are
discussed in a special focus section in Population Health
Management, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.,
publishers. The issue features an interview with Julie
Gerberding, MD, MPH, president of the vaccines unit of Merck
(MRK), the company that manufactures the shingles vaccine, and
former director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). It
also includes a Roundtable discussion featuring a panel
comprised of some of the world's leading experts on PHN