Vaccination helps older adults.

• Position: SHINGLES - Brief article

A major cause of severe, chronic pain in older adults, post-therpetic neuralgia can be prevented or reduced in severity by immunization to cut the risk for herpes zoster (more commonly known as shingles), according to researchers at the American Pain Society, Glenview, III.

Some 1,000,000 U.S. residents develop shingles every year and antiviral therapies have improved medical management of the condition. However, substantial numbers still develop pain complications, most notably post-therpetic neuralgia. As a result, herpes zoster can impair the quality of life of older adults significantly.

Potential benefits of immunization for herpes zoster were examined in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, known as the Shingles Prevention Study. The vaccine was approved...