Shingrix Vaccine for Shingles (Herpes Zoster, HZ) - Dose I

What is the zoster vaccine used for?

The main purpose of Shingrix is to prevent shingles – a painful skin condition that occurs when the chickenpox virus reactivates in your body. The vaccine is recommended for adults aged 50 and older, regardless of whether they remember having chickenpox.

Shingles is a painful blistering rash caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus. After a person has had chickenpox, the virus can remain dormant in the nerves and reactivate when the immune system weakens (the body's natural defense system), such as with aging or illness.
In addition to protecting against shingles, the vaccine also protects against postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) – a serious complication where nerve pain persists long after the shingles rash has disappeared. This chronic pain condition can last for months or even years, significantly affecting your quality of life.
The vaccine is also recommended for adults aged 19 and older who have weakened immune systems due to diseases like HIV, cancer treatment, or organ transplantation. Even if you've had shingles before, the vaccine can help prevent future episodes.

This vaccine is considered very potent and effective, providing more than 90% protection against shingles in clinical trials. Protection remains high even in people over 70 years old, making it significantly more effective than the older live zoster vaccine, which is no longer recommended.

Who is the vaccine for

• Adults aged 50 and over – the main group to receive the vaccine, as immunity weakens with age.
• Aged 18–19 – individuals with a high risk or weakened immune system due to diseases.
• Those who have had shingles – can be vaccinated even if they have had shingles before. 

Vaccination schedule and procedure

• Two doses – the course consists of two vaccinations.
• Interval – the second dose is administered 2 months after the first (up to 6 months if necessary).
• Administration method – the medicine is injected into the muscle (usually the deltoid muscle of the upper arm). 

IMPORTANT

Shingrix is not intended for primary prevention of chickenpox infection.
Vaccination with Shingrix, like other vaccines, should be postponed for individuals experiencing a severe acute illness with fever. However, vaccination need not be postponed due to a mild infectious disease, such as a cold. 

Shingrix should be used with caution in individuals with thrombocytopenia or a bleeding disorder, as bleeding may occur after the vaccine is injected into the muscle of such individuals.

As with any vaccine, a protective immune response may not be elicited in all individuals who receive the vaccine. 

Shingrix can be administered concurrently with an adjuvant-free, inactivated seasonal influenza vaccine, a 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23), or a reduced antigen diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis vaccine (dTpa). Vaccines should be administered into different injection sites.

Concurrent use with other vaccines is not recommended due to a lack of data. 

Adverse reactions occurred more frequently in individuals aged 50-69 compared to those aged 70 and older, especially general adverse reactions such as myalgia, fatigue, headache, chills, fever, and gastrointestinal symptoms. 

IMPORTANT – information provided based on the summary of the medicinal product characteristics.