The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of the first shingles vaccine for adults. The agency stated that the vaccine, named Zostavax, is intended for adults aged 60
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years and older; studies show it can prevent shingles.
Shingles typically causes painful blisters that can linger for months. Although the initial stage of this condition is rarely fatal, the pain—known as postherpetic neuralgia—can remain even after the blisters have healed. This pain can persist for years and can be severe enough in some individuals to be debilitating.
The condition is caused by the varicella virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. Shingles occurs when the chickenpox virus reactivates in nerve cells, often in older individuals or those with health issues. The Zostavax vaccine is essentially a booster dose of the chickenpox vaccine currently administered to children.
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