Robert Koch Institute recommends vaccination against shingles

For these people, a vaccine against shingles makes sense

The Standing Vaccination Commission at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) advises all persons over the age of 60 to have a vaccine against shingles. Immunodeficient or critically ill people should be vaccinated already from 50 years. As the institute reports, the disease can lead to serious complications such as nerve pain, which last for months to years and severely limit the quality of life of those affected.

Shingles, also known medically as herpes zoster, is a disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus. As the experts of the RKI report, most people come into contact with the viruses as early as childhood. These initially trigger the infectious disease chickenpox (varicella). After the disease subsides, the viruses remain in the nerve cells of the host for a lifetime and can cause shingles at a later date. "The Standing Committee for Vaccination recommends shingles vaccination with a so-called dead vaccine as a standard vaccine for all persons over the age of 60," the RKI experts write in a press release.

Shingles can cause years of nerve pain

Typical of herpes zoster are the burning pain, which are accompanied by a mostly half-sided, band-like itchy rash with blistering predominantly in the torso or chest area. According to the Kassenärztlichen associations fall every year around 300,000 people in Germany from a shingles. According to RKI, about every twentieth person has serious complications that leave a long-lasting neuralgia. These nerve pains can significantly reduce the quality of life of those affected months to years.

Shingles often occurs in elderly and immunocompromised individuals

According to the RKI, older people as well as patients with a weakened immune system are most often affected. For this reason, the Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) recommends vaccination for persons with a primary disease as early as 50 years old. Currently, the shingles vaccine is not a mandatory service of statutory health insurance. However, the Federal Joint Committee would soon decide on inclusion in the vaccination directive.

New vaccine makes the vaccine safer

"In Germany, two vaccines against herpes zoster are approved for people over 50 years, since 2013, a live vaccine and a dead vaccine since 2018," reports the RKI. However, the STIKO advises against the live vaccine because it has only a limited efficacy and a limited duration of action. He was also unsuitable for immunocompromised persons. In contrast, the available since 2018 herpes zoster dead vaccine is safe. There were no signs of serious side effects in regulatory trials. However, systemic reactions such as muscle aches, fever, fatigue, and headaches can occur, usually lasting no more than two days. (Vb)