A NEW SHINGLES VACCINE

Shingles affects about 30% of the population. If you had chicken pox when you were a kid, that same virus is likely hiding out in our body, ready to emerge and present itself as shingles years later. 

Although shingles is a scourge of seniors, and vaccination is recommended for those over sixty, Medicare Parts A and B does not cover the greater than $200 vaccination. Only the prescription drug part of Medicare, Part D, will cover the vaccination.

There is a lot of  misinformation about shingles. A recent NY Times article provides links to several resources that provide information about protecting oneself or one’s parents against it.

This week a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel recommended a new shingles vaccine called Shingrix, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, for adults aged 50 and older.  The panel’s recommendation gives preference to the new vaccine over Merck’s Zostavax, which has been the only shingles vaccine on the market for over a decade and was recommended for people ages 60 and older.  The committee vote still awaits formal endorsement by the head of the C.D.C., which usually takes a couple of months. Insurance companies must also agree to cover the cost of the vaccine, which GSK estimates to be $280 for two doses.

The good news is that Shingrix extends protection against shingles by ten years, to people aged 50, and outcomes from Shingrix are somewhat better than with Zostavax. The bad news is that Shingrix can have unpleasant -- but not-life threatening -- side effects. 

If you are thinking of being vaccinated against shingles, you might want to discuss this new vaccine with your health provider.