What is the shingles vaccine?
Quick Answer
The shingles vaccine helps prevent shingles, a painful rash caused by reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus. The newer recombinant vaccine was introduced in 2017.
The Full Story
Shingles happens when the same virus that causes chickenpox becomes active again years later, usually as immunity wanes with age. The recombinant shingles vaccine, Shingrix, was approved in 2017 and is now widely used to protect older adults. It has been shown to be much more effective than the older live vaccine used in some countries. Shingles can cause lasting nerve pain known as postherpetic neuralgia, so prevention matters. The vaccine is typically recommended for adults over 50 and for some younger people at higher risk.
Key Facts
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