Vaccination against shingles must be done anyway, for several reasons. In fact, we do not yet know what the protective efficacy of the varicella vaccine is against herpes zoster, because we have only recently begun to vaccinate children in large numbers and we need time to understand how effective these vaccinations are also against shingles in adulthood and old age. But that’s not all: not having had chickenpox does not exclude that the virus may have infected it anyway – before or after vaccination – without manifesting itself in the disease and therefore being present in the spinal ganglion. So if that were the case, the virus could wake up and trigger shingles. Finally, even if vaccinated, if this virus is contracted in old age, it can still give shingles as a primary infection. These three reasons suggest that it is therefore better to also proceed with vaccination against herpes zoster, regardless of that against chickenpox.
Send your questions to vaccini@gedi.it
Michele Conversano, director of the Prevention Department of the Local Health Authority of the province of Taranto
