NHS shingles vaccine rolls out for people in their 70s
pharmafile | September 2, 2013 | News story | Sales and Marketing | Merck, NHS, Zostavax, shingles
The NHS will introduce a nationwide shingles vaccination scheme this week aimed at people in their 70s.
Merck’s Zostavax will be offered to people aged 70 as standard, and to 79-year-olds in a ‘catch-up’ scheme. An estimated 800,000 people will be eligible for the programme in its first year.
Also known as herpes zoster, shingles is caused by a reactivation of the chickenpox virus later in life. Anybody who has had chickenpox can develop shingles, as the virus remains dormant in the nervous system after recovery.
The condition is most common in people over 50 and normally develops due to a stress- or age-related weakening of the immune system. Around three in 1,000 people are affected by shingles every year in the UK.
The main symptom is a painful rash, often located on one side of the body, which develops into a pattern of painful blisters. Full recovery normally takes up to a month.
However, complications can arise, including tinnitus, vision loss and, in some severe cases, swelling of the brain. In Britain, one in 1,000 people with shingles over the age of 70 die due to a related condition.
A 2005 clinical trial demonstrated that Zostavax has been found to reduce the occurrence of shingles by roughly 40% among people in their 70s. For those who do develop the condition, it can work to cut short the period of pain and discomfort that follows.
The BBC reports that the new vaccination programme is expected to cost £25 million annually but ensure £20 million in savings for the NHS.
According to the health service’s website, private vaccination would normally cost in the region of £150-200.
Offering vaccination to the 70-79 years age bracket was deemed the most cost effective option by the government joint committee on vaccination and immunisation (JCVI) earlier this year.
Health minister Frederick Curzon said: “Shingles can be a nasty disease for older people and can lead to long-term health problems for around 14,000 people each year.
“This new vaccine can prevent some of the most serious cases, giving people the chance to live without the discomfort and pain that shingles causes.”
Hugh McCafferty
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