WASHINGTON, May 26 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has licensed a new Merck & Co. vaccine that reduces the risk of shingles.
Zostavax is licensed for those over age 60. About one-fifth of the population is believed to develop shingles.
The disease of the nervous system is caused by the chicken pox virus, varicella-zoster, which lies dormant in the nervous system for decades after an attack. Symptoms include painful blisters that can last for weeks.
"This vaccine gives health care providers an important tool that can help prevent an illness that affects many older Americans and often results in significant chronic pain," said Dr. Jesse L. Goodman -- Director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research -- in an FDA news release.
Zostavax was tested in a trial involving 38,000 subjects and found to reduce the risk of shingles by about half in those over 60. The risk reduction was greatest for those age 60 to 69.
8 comments:
Man, that's both scary (as in, I didn't know shingles were caused by dormant chicken pox making a curtain call) and a relief.
I had chicken pox when I was 24. There were three or four days that were absolute hell. A friend came over to keep me company one afternoon and the blisters were so sensitive that I couldn't wear a shirt. He said I looked like Brundlefly. The pox were on every part of my body except (as far as I know) the surface of my eyeballs. Between fingers and toes, scalp, the palms of my hands, in my ears, on my gums, down my throat, the general groinal region, the soles of my feet... My oh-so-helpful friend's advice was "Simply don't let it bother you. Just don't think about it."
He caught the chicken pox a couple of years later while on the road for business. His fiance had to drive across several states to get him. He later apologized to me for ever suggesting that you could simply put the itching/pain out of your mind.
The thought of ever having to go through that again is frightening to say the least.
Can I get my vaccination now?
Oh, Fantod, that sounds awful!
I had the chicken pox on my 6th birthday and wanted to "postpone" my birthday for when I was feeling better! My folks got a kick out of that.
I think that this vaccine will spare people a lot of misery. I'm just wondering if the neo-cons will find a reason to oppose this vaccine on "moral grounds"
My mother had shingles when she was pregnant with me. Yikes! Can you imagine?
My Gramma had shingles last year and I had to take care of her...
She was lucky I let her live through it...
suddenly (and as if i needed further reason), i'm off chipped beef on toast....
KEvron
Why wouldn't you want "shit on toast"???
Makes no sense!
Being stalked is like having shingles, I figure.
If you scratch the itch you only make it worse.
:sigh:
Thankss for this
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