Shingles vaccine for the elderly efficacious: research

A recent research covering about 6,000 Chinese people aged 50 and older has proved the protection effects of the shingles vaccine on Chinese elderly, the target of the immunization.

In double-blind research conducted between 2021 and 2023, half the group received vaccination while the remainder were given a placebo. None of those who were vaccinated developed shingles, while 31 people in the remaining half who got the placebo contracted the infectious disease.

Doctors said the research gives health-care providers and the public strong proof and reassurance about the benefits of vaccination for preventing and controlling shingles, which can seriously affect people's health and quality of life due to the severe pain it causes.

The varicella zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox, is the reason for shingles, a viral infection that typically affects adults over 50. Most adults around the world have an inactive form of the virus that has the potential to become active, and the risk increases with age due to a weaker immunity.

In China, shingles affects more than 1.56 million people aged 50 or older annually. The severity of the symptoms increases with age and other underlying diseases.

The early signs of shingles are blisters and pain in the back or chest. Some people also suffer from neuralgia, a condition that affects up to 30 percent of the population. Its prevalence increases with age.

Medical professionals said education targeting seniors on common infectious diseases including COVID-19, flu, shingles, and pneumonia should be enhanced and community health workers should play a leading role in public education about the value of the vaccination to protect the elderly.