Shingles vaccine....talk to me

[firewoman]

My father is 62 years old, and in excellent health. His physician has recommended that he get the shingles vaccine. His age is recognized as elderly and as such he is in a high risk group for contracting shingles. He has childhood immunity to chicken pox and the reading I have done says that Zostavax is a live vaccine meaning he could contract shingles from the vaccine and/or shed the virus to others. Am I correct? My feeling is that this unnecessary. Can you give me your opinions and tell me what you know about this vaccine?

[Otto]

Originally Posted by firewoman

He has childhood immunity to chicken pox and the reading I have done says that Zostavax is a live vaccine meaning he could contract shingles from the vaccine and/or shed the virus to others.

I don't really see a mechanism by which Zostavax could cause shingles. Having already had chickenpox, he also already has wild-type VZV in the ganglia. The idea of reexposure to the (live) attenuated Oka strain is exactly the same as the popular notion of reexposure to wild cases used to bemoan the existence of Varivax--to remind the adaptive immune system that it may still need to be prepared to keep VZV in check.

[Emmeline II]

You don't catch Shingles. Shingles occurs when varicella-zoster virus reactivates (that has been hiding in your nerve roots since "you" had cpox at 7yo). Before the cpox vax, Shingles was considered a disease of the elderly who are vulnerable due to their weakened immune systems and lack of exposure to young children with chicken pox (to provide a natural booster).

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/02/health/02brod.html

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/shingles/detail_shingles.htm

[Dot-to-Dot]

Are you planning to let your little one get pox? If so, have Grampa babysit! I have read a lot recently about how effective it can be for the elderly to be exposed to children who are incubating or recovering from pox. If he's healthy and out and about, I wonder how his immunity looks. Can't they do a blood test to check?

Regardless, I've heard that using raw honey topically is more effective than the anbiotics for shingles! I've been mulling over the same thing in regards to my parents. My step-mom got shingles, but she has a compromised immune system (stage 4 cancer) and other than that, they are all over 62 and have not had the vax, nor has it been suggested yet. I will definitely invite them over for lots of hugs and kisses if my LO gets chicken pox.

[13Sandals]

can your father ask for a titer test to see what level of protection he has? he might find out he doesn't need the vaccine. The cp and shingles vax are having unintended consequences shifting disease around, that's why some countries refuse to recommend either vaccine.

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1032.asp...bCategoryID=63
http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/shingles.html

[Otto]

Originally Posted by 13Sandals

can your father ask for a titer test to see what level of protection he has?

I believe a titer would be for VZV antibody (IgG), but keeping shingles at bay is a matter of T-cell-mediated immunity, which is more complicated testing.

Antibody to VZV, which can protect against primary exogenous VZV infection (ie, chickenpox), appears to play no role in host resistance to herpes zoster. Instead, it is VZV-CMI that limits the ability of latent VZV to reactivate and cause herpes zoster.

(Here; see also here.)

[firewoman]

I haven't really had the chance to expose my three unvaccinated children to CP yet because I have always had a really young one. My baby just turned one last month and is, IMO, to young to expose intentionally. Once she is three years old I could try and find a pox party but that is a big if. If he opts not to have the vaccine we could invite him over!

My dad isn't very savvy when it comes to this stuff and niether are his physicians. He lives in a small town with what I believe to be questionalbe medical care. It doesn't seem as though they are very creative (the physicians I mean).

Now that I understand the way shingles works and possibly why there has been an increase in cases, is there a glaring reason he should avoid the shingles vaccine? If he gets it now at 62, will he ever need another one? I know the CP vaccine lasts for about 25 years. Is the shingles vaccine the same?

[DahliaRW]

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/ar...aspx?aid=CD945