News|Slideshows|January 10, 2022

Shingles Vaccine Recap: A Shingrix Primer for Primary Care

Author(s)Grace Halsey

Herpes zoster vaccination rates in the US have ticked up only minimally since FDA approval of Shingrix. Brush up on the basics of the vaccine and pass it on to your patients.

The vaccination rate for herpes zoster, (HZ), also known as shingles, surpassed its Healthy People 2020 goal, according to data released earlier this year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Herpes zoster vaccination coverage in 2018 was 4.5 percentage points above the Healthy People 2020 target of 30%,” authors wrote in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

While that news was a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing report from the annual National Health Interview Survey, it still reflects a population significantly underprotected against an infection that while rarely fatal, can lead to long-term neuropathic pain and other severe long-term complications that are vaccine-preventable.

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