New vaccine to change the way shingles is treated

Experts are recommending adults be vaccinated with a new shingles vaccine after discovering the previous version was not as effective as first thought.

According to the Harvard Medical School, the new shingles vaccine Shingrix is more powerful than Zostavax. Zostavax was the main preventative method against shingles for many years and was typically distributed to people over the age of 60.

Harvard reports the Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices, a group of leading US health experts, agreed on the recommendation last year in October.

Shingles usually occurs when the varicella-zoster virus is re-activated in the skin and is the same virus that causes chickenpox in children. They’re known to show up as sore blisters or rashes on the skin and typically appear on just one side of the body. The blisters can appear anywhere on the body, including the chest, stomach, face, back and even pelvis.

In some cases, the pain can be so bad that it last for weeks, months and even years after being infected. People who have experienced the disease often describe it as a shooting pain, often as the result of the smallest of touches or movements. This is known as postherpetic neuralgia, which can cause all sorts of issues including severe nerve pain.

Read more: How do you get shingles and who should be vaccinated against it?

It’s reported 5 per cent of the Australian population are yet to be infected by the virus, meaning millions are at risk of catching it. For older people, the risk is even higher, mainly due to the decline of the immune system as we age.

The Australian government offers the Zostavax vaccine for free under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) to those aged 70-79. Shingrix isn’t currently available in Australia.

Despite what some people believe, you can’t actually catch shingles, however, the virus itself can be contagious, especially if someone hasn’t previously had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine. The virus itself is only contagious when someone comes in contact with fluid from the blisters. Once the rash forms a crust, it is no longer contagious.

Read more: Shingles and other risks you should be aware of

The tricky thing about the virus is that it can remain in your system for decades without causing any harm, which is why shingles affects a lot of older people. Most people think that after being vaccinated against the chickenpox they’re immune, but experts are warning people to get the shingles vaccine as well.

What do you think? Have you ever had the shingles? How long did it take you to recover? Would you have the new vaccination?