Herpes Zoster Vaccine

Abstract

Herpes zoster, or shingles, results from the reactivation of latent varicella– zoster virus (VZV) in the dorsal-root or cranial-nerve ganglia, usually decades after primary infection. Herpes zoster is characterized by a vesicular rash with a unilateral and dermatomal distribution and is almost always accompanied by pain. Herpes zoster is not only skin disease, but also sometimes affects other organs, including central nerve system, eye, and facial nerve. The most common complications, such as postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), are more frequent, severe and impair patients’ quality of life. For more than 10 years, in US, EU, and Australia, a live-attenuated vaccine against herpes zoster (Zostavax) containing the Oka VZV strain is licensed for use in adults who are 50 years of age or older. In Japan, a live attenuated varicella vaccine is also licensed for preventing herpes zoster in 2016. Two large randomized multinational efficacy trials (ZOE-50 and ZOE-70) showed that the novel herpes zoster subunit vaccine (shinglix) candidate containing varicella-zoster virus glycoprotein E (gE) and the AS01B adjuvant system reduced the risk of herpes zoster and PHN by more than 90%. This article aimed to review the epidemiology, pathophysiology and complications of herpes zoster and mention the efficacies and problems of the live-attenuated and the new recombinant herpes zoster vaccines.