Shingles Vaccine Reduces Risk of Long-Term Pain in Patients
- By BSTQ Staff
A new study shows that people who receive a shingles vaccine but still contract shingles have a lower risk of developing post-herpatic neuralgia (PHN), a potentially long-lasting and painful complication of the condition. In the study, researchers reviewed the medical records of 2,400 Kaiser Permanente Southern California patients over 60 years old who developed shingles after Jan. 1, 2007. Of those who received the vaccine, 4.2 percent of vaccinated women experienced PHN compared with 10.4 percent of the unvaccinated women, and 6 percent of vaccinated men experienced PHN compared with 5.8 percent of unvaccinated men. Researchers suggest that the gender-related differences may be due to the differences in how men and women seek care for chronic pain.
PHN is the most common complication of shingles, and treatment for the pain may be necessary for months or even years. As patients get older, the pain associated with PHN is likely to be more severe and may lead to depression, fatigue, insomnia, altered activities of daily living and decreased socialization. “Our study found that the shingles vaccine has an added protective benefit of reducing the risk of PHN for a vaccinated individual who still experiences shingles,” said Hung Fu Tseng, PhD, MPH, study lead author, Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation. “This further confirms the importance of shingles vaccination for adults over age 60.
