By the mid-1960s, several studies identified the gradual reduction in cellular immunity in old age, observing that in a cohort of 1,000 people who lived to the age of 85, approximately 500 (i.e., 50%) would have at least one attack of shingles, and 10 (i.e., 1%) would have at least two attacks.In historical shingles studies, shingles incidence generally increased with age. However, in his 1965 paper, Hope-Simpson suggested that the "peculiar age distribution of zoster may in part reflect the frequency with which the different age groups encounter cases of varicella and because of the ensuing boost to their antibody protection have their attacks of zoster postponed". Lending support to this hypothesis that contact with children with chickenpox boosts adult cell-mediated immunity to help postpone or suppress shingles, a study by Thomas et al. reported that adults in households with children had lower rates of shingles than households without children. Also, the study by Terada et al. indicated that pediatricians reflected incidence rates from 1/2 to 1/8 that of the general population their age. Etymology
The family name of all the herpesviruses derives from the Greek word herpēs, from herpein ("to creep"), referring to the latent, recurring infections typical of this group of viruses. Zoster comes from Greek zōstēr, meaning "belt" or "girdle", after the characteristic belt-like dermatomal rash. The common name for the disease, shingles, derives from the Latin cingulus, a variant of Latin cingulum, meaning "girdle". Research
Until the mid-1990s, infectious complications of the central nervous system (CNS) caused by VZV reactivation were regarded as rare.
The European Commission formally withdrew marketing permission on 28 June 2012.On 21 June 2012, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) issued a positive first opinion on Hexaxim for use outside the EU, in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO), but later withdrew the opinion.On 17 April 2013, marketing approval in the EU was granted to Hexyon and to Hexacima.On 15 February 2016, marketing approval in the EU was granted to Vaxelis. US approval
On 21 December 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensed a hexavalent combined diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis (DTaP) adsorbed, inactivated poliovirus (IPV), Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) conjugate (meningococcal protein conjugate) and hepatitis B (HepB) (recombinant) vaccine, DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB (Vaxelis), for use as a three-dose series in infants at ages two, four, and six months. On 26 June 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to include DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB in the federal Vaccines for Children Program (VFC). == References ==