Shooting for that shingles shot

Despite ongoing shortages, doctors say it’s worth a shot to seek the newer Shingrix vaccine to prevent shingles if you’re 50 or older.

Shingles occurs when the chickenpox virus resurfaces in adulthood and causes skin rashes, blisters and possible long-term pain. About 1 in 3 U.S. residents will get shingles in their lifetime, and about 15 percent develop severe pain from a complication called postherpetic neuralgia.

In fall 2017, the FDA approved Shingrix. Maker GlaxoSmithKlin didn’t anticipate the high demand during 2018, and supplies got used up quickly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says GSK is increasing production for the U.S. market this year, but supply gaps are expected throughout 2019.

“For people who have had chickenpox, or presumably have had chickenpox, and are 50 years and older, they can ask their providers about Shingrix,” said Dr. Joanna Breems, clinical assistant professor at the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.“It seems to protect for a longer period of time.

The CDC says Shingrix as a two-shot series provides more than 90 percent protection against shingles and postherpetic neuralgia. That compares with a lower effectiveness rate for the older shingles vaccine, Zostavax, which reduces the risk of developing shingles by about 51 percent and postherpetic neuralgia by 67 percent, the CDC says.

The agency recommends Shingrix as the preferred shingles vaccine. Its protection after both doses lasts for about five years. Another difference is the new vaccine is inactivated, meaning it uses a dead version of the virus, while Zostavax contains a weakened live virus.