Bernabei (Italy Longeva): ‘Herpes Zoster vaccine important for the elderly’

“The results of the study are very comforting in the perspective of longevity accompanied by a good quality of life. Being protected from Zoster and its painful and disabling complications is now definitively possible, we can only urge our elderly not to miss this important opportunity. of prevention. ”Thus Roberto Bernabei, president of Italia Longeva, the National Association for Aging and Active Longevity, commenting on the intermediate data of the Zoster-049 extension study anticipated today by Gsk, during a meeting with the press The study, from October 23 in the Open Forum Infectious Diseases (Ofid), a journal of the American Infectious Diseases Association (IDSA), shows that the recombinant vaccine against Herpes Zoster can provide at least 10 years of protection against the disease (known as St. Anthony’s Fire) in the over 50s, after the initial vaccination. In the intermediate period of 6-10 years from the Initially, the overall efficacy was greater than 80%. Herpes Zoster is caused by the reactivation of the varicella zoster virus which remains silent for years along the nerve endings after causing chickenpox. With age, the immune system loses the ability to activate a strong and effective immune response, increasing the risk of developing shingles. The disease can cause severe pain and, in some cases, it lasts after the rash has subsided and can last for months or even years (post-herpetic neuralgia). In addition to being recommended for over-65s, vaccination is recommended, and offered free of charge, also to people with chronic diseases, including diabetes mellitus. As reported by the Italian Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology (Sigg), even if 1 in 3 people will develop the infection in the course of life, the incidence and severity increase after the age of 50, reaching 1 in 2 in the over 85 years. The incidence rate of hospitalizations for Zoster is 20 times higher in those over the age of 79 and 11 times higher in those aged 70-79 than in those under the age of 50. Based on the available scientific evidence, Sigg recommends anti-Herpe Zoster vaccination, in particular the recombinant, as “the only tool for the prevention of infection and its complications considering its high efficacy and persistence over time in the elderly population, including the elderly with multiple comorbidities “. Even the Italian medical-scientific associations of reference for diabetes (Sid-Amd) recommend anti-Herpes Zoster on the basis of recent studies that show that diabetic disease increases the risk of develop the infection and 78% herpetic neuralgia versus 50% of those with normal blood sugar. The Cancer Network recommends anti-Herpes Zoster vaccination in patients with onco-haematological disease and reminds that, in general terms, the greater likelihood of develop Zoster among solid tumors is observed in those of the central nervous system, oral, esophageal, stomach, colorectal, polymorph mone, breast, ovary, prostate, kidney and bladder, which are associated with an increased likelihood of developing infection between 10-50%. The SIR (Italian Society of Rheumatology) recalls that in patients with rheumatological diseases of autoimmune origin, for example if they suffer from Les (systemic lupus erythematosus), recent studies show that the risk of Herpes Zoster in these patients increases by 150% compared to the population by comparison, even for the therapies that are taken (immunosuppressants). Patients with chronic respiratory diseases, such as BPCO (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) have an overall 41% increased risk of developing Herpes Zoster compared to the general population and 53% greater of post herpetic neuralgia. As for asthma, sufferers have a 24% increased risk of infection and 20% of post-herpetic neuralgia, recalls Simit, the Italian Society of Infectious and Tropical Diseases. first vaccine approved for Herpes Zoster prevention to combine a non-live antigen with Gsk adjuvant and may help overcome the natural age-related decline in immunity that contributes to the challenge of protecting adults of age and older 50 years after this pathology.