Data Shows that Shingrix has been Offering Adults 50 and Older High Protection Against Shingles for More Than Ten Years

News Desk, News Nation 360 : Positive results from the ZOSTER-049 long-term follow-up phase III trial, which monitored participants for up to roughly 11 years after their initial vaccination with Shingrix (Recombinant Zoster Vaccine, or RZV), have been released by GSK plc (LSE/NYSE: GSK). The results of the completed trial show that in adults over 50, Shingrix remains effective against shingles for over ten years. The information was presented during the 27–30 April 2024 ESCMID Global (European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases) 2024 in Barcelona, Spain (formerly known as ECCMID). The Zoster-049 Shingrix vaccine demonstrated high efficacy in preventing shingles in adults aged 50 and over. Vaccine efficacy was 79.7% (95% confidence interval: 73.7% - 84.6%) cumulatively from 6 to 11 years after vaccination and remained high at 82.0% (95% CI: 63.0% - 92.2%) at year 11. Efficacy was also strong in adults aged 70 and over, at 73.1% (95% CI: 62.9% - 80.9%) cumulatively from years 6 to 11. Up to one in three people worldwide will get shingles at some point in their lives. The chance of getting shingles can be raised by several variables, such as growing older, immunodeficiency or immunosuppression, and other long-term illnesses like asthma, COPD, and diabetes mellitus. The typical rash of shingles often appears as painful blisters on the face, chest, or abdomen. Patients frequently describe the pain as stabbing, burning, aching, or shock-like. Up to 30% of individuals have post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), which is a chronic nerve pain that can linger for weeks, months, or even years after the rash. iii Significant medical and human resource costs are also linked to shingles; on average, 57% of shingles patients reported missing 9.1 days of work. Dr Rashmi Hegde, Executive Vice President - Medical Affairs, GSK India, stated that these results, which show efficacy and protection against shingles over a lengthy 11-year duration, give physicians and patients peace of mind. They hope that these results give policymakers the confidence to include shingles vaccination in public immunisation plans for adults since older adults are more likely to experience complications from shingles.