Shingles vaccination for patients over 50

Vaccination against shingles makes sense for older adults?

02/20/2014

For men over the age of 50, a vaccine against shingles could be useful - this view is at least Professor Regine Heilbronn from the Institute of Virology of the Free University of Berlin. Like the expert opposite the „dpa“ reports, a vaccine could significantly reduce the risk of the usually very unpleasant and painful illness. On the part of the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) at the Robert Koch Institute, however, there is no vaccination recommendation for the elderly.

Sufferers suffer from sudden, piercing pain
In the so-called „shingles“ (Herpes zoster) is a viral disease caused by varicella-zoster virus (VZV), a member of the herpesvirus family. Characteristic of the disease is a unilateral, stripe-shaped skin rash with redness or blisters, which occur in part in the form of rosettes and can be filled with blood. Accompanying other symptoms such as severe fatigue, mild fever or itching may occur, in addition, in most cases, severe pain in the affected body region, which can be unbearable for those affected: „The problem with shingles is that they develop into blisters that can grow very large and are very painful, so that the patient has the right stabbing pain that comes up from nowhere, like someone stabbing a knife into the abdomen , The other is that the pain can last a very long time if the shingles are not treated properly“, says Prof. Christian Sander, Dermatologist at the Asklepios Clinic St. Georg in Hamburg.

Virus stays in the body for life
The shingles is caused by an infection with the chickenpox virus, which is usually transmitted already in childhood, after endured chickenpox disease, however, remains in the human organism and therefore may possibly break out in the form of a shingles again. Elderly people are particularly at risk because immune defenses often become weaker in old age and the viruses are therefore particularly vulnerable „easy game“ have to multiply again. Accordingly, a vaccine against the disease may be useful, especially for the elderly, explains Professor Regine Heilbronn from the Institute of Virology of the Free University of Berlin to the news agency „dpa“. Such a vaccine for people over 50 had recently been re-admitted and could significantly reduce the risk of illness, said Professor Heilbronn. The problem with this: The vaccine is a so-called „live vaccine“, the immunocompromised person may not be administered and thus for the „The main target group“ not at all.

Antibody protection may decrease over the years
In addition, Heilbronn points out that, despite vaccination, the protection of antibodies could decrease over the years, because normally the protection against the virus would naturally renew itself, for example through contact with the ill child. But since many parents now have their children vaccinated against chickenpox, fewer and fewer children would contract it and the possibility of „refreshing“ accounts, so the doctor further to the dpa.

Standing vaccination committee recommends vaccination only for children
On the part of the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) at the Robert Koch Institute there is currently no vaccination recommendation for over 50 years - since 2004, however, for children, with the aim of reducing the disease burden by varicella in general, and especially severe disease and rare deaths according to the information of the Robert Koch Institute. (No)