Shingles (Herpes Zoster) Vaccination

At a Glance

Shingles is a painful localized skin rash often with blisters that is caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV), the same virus that causes chickenpox. Anyone who has had chickenpox can develop shingles because VZV remains in the nerve cells of the body after the chickenpox infection clears and VZV can reappear years later causing shingles. Shingles most commonly occurs in people 50 years old or older, people who have medical conditions that keep the immune system from working properly, or people who receive immunosuppressive drugs.

Shingles vaccine is recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to reduce the risk of shingles and its associated pain in people 60 years old or older.

 

What You Should Know

About the Disease

• Overview
  Symptoms, transmission, complications, treatment and prevention
• Pictures of Shingles
  Warning: Some of these photos are quite graphic.

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Vaccine Information

• Shingles Vaccination: What You Need to Know
  General information, including who should and should not get the vaccine, possible reactions and reimbursement for vaccination
• Protect Yourself Against Shingles: Get Vaccinated
  CDC feature, updated July 2010
• PODCAST: There’s a Vaccine for Shingles?! Posted Jul 2009
• Vaccine Information Statement (VIS)

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Vaccine Safety

As with all vaccines, there can be minor reactions, including pain and redness at the injection site, headache, fatigue or a vague feeling of discomfort.

• CDC's Vaccine Safety website
  • concerns | report a suspected vaccine reaction

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For Health Professionals

Clinical Information on Herpes Zoster (Shingles)

• Clinical Overview
• Clinical Diagnosis & Laboratory Testing
• Preventing Transmission in Healthcare Settings
• Ask the Experts
  CDC experts answer your clinical questions (Immunization Action Coalition)

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Vaccine Information

• Recommendations
  • ACIP: Update on Recommendations for Use of Herpes Zoster Vaccine Updated August 2014
    Provides updated information about recommendation for use among adults aged 60 years and older in the U.S.
  • ACIP Recommendations Published June 2008
    Provides recommendations for its use among adults aged 60 years and older in the U.S.
  • Recommendations In–Short
• Herpes Zoster Vaccination for Health Care Professionals
  Vaccine composition, dosage, and efficacy; immunization recommendations; vaccine safety and monitoring; vaccine administration errors; supply, distribution, and storage
• Zostavax package insert and patient information, FDA

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References and Resources

• Resources for Older Adults, including Shingles
• Adult Vaccine Handouts, Posters, & Flyers
  Resources for educating adult patients about vaccines
• Zostavax questions and answers from FDA
• Herpes Zoster Disease-related and Vaccine-related Resources and References

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Provider Education

• Video: Herpes Zoster: Who's at Risk and Who Should be Vaccinated
  Posted Nov 2011
  CDC Expert Commentary in Partnership with Medscape, 4:35 minutes
• Slide set: Overview of VZV Disease & Vaccination for Healthcare Professionals [57 slides] Updated Aug 2013
• CME Credit: Herpes Zoster Vaccine is Safe, but Financial and Other Barriers Limit Its Use Posted May 2010
  From MedscapeCME Clinical Briefs (Valid for credit through 05/05/2011)
• 2008 podcast: Immunizations Part II: Shingles Vaccine
  Details on podcasts page

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Materials for Patients

• Vaccine Information Statement (VIS)
• What You Need to Know about Shingles and the Shingles Vaccine [2 pages]
• Vaccines: Know What You Need [2 pages]

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For the Media

Materials for the Media

• CDC Seeks to Protect Older Adults with Shingles Vaccine Message [17 pages]
  Posted April 2008
• Resources for Older Adults, including Shingles

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