New, improved shingles shot recommended for older people

A federal panel recommended Wednesday that older people already vaccinated for shingles get a new, better shot.

The advisory group said the just-approved vaccine made by Glaxo Smith Kline works better at preventing shingles and may last longer than the one that’s been sold in the U.S. since 2006.

Shingles, a painful condition that causes blisters, occurs when the chickenpox virus resurfaces decades later, often when people are in their 60s or older. About 1 in three U.S. residents will get it during their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

At a meeting in Atlanta, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices said doctors should first opt for Glaxo’s two-dose Shingrix, which uses a new ingredient to boost its effectiveness. It was approved in the U.S. last week, and the committee recommended it for adults 50 and older.

Shingrix has been shown to be 90 per cent effective and last at least four years in companysponsored studies.

“It performs in very superior fashion and will prevent more disease than the other vaccine available,” said panel member Dr. Kelly Moore, director of the Tennessee health department’s immunization program.

The vote recommending a preference for Glaxo’s vaccine over Merck’s single-dose Zostavax was unusually close, 8-7. Panel members noted that the two vaccines have not been tested headto-head yet.