Shingrix versus Zostavax ! Which one is Better ?

Shingrix and Zostavax, both are vaccines to prevent Herpes Zoster (Shingles). Zostavax is an older vaccine while Shingrix is latest and a topic of discussion in medical community. Here are providing some basic facts about these two vaccines for same disease. After reading facts given in the table below you can decide it yourself that which one is better.

This collection of facts given below is not a medical advice by a doctor. So if you are going to get a Herpes Zoster Vaccine in near future then it better to consult your doctor regarding this thing.

Shingrix versus Zostavax

	Zostavax	Shingrix
Manufacturer	Merck	GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
Releasing Date	2006	Expected in 2017
Trial Results	Reduced appearance of Shingles by 70% in 50-59 Years Age Group, 64% in 60-69 Years, and 38% in above 70 Years.	97% protection in all age group above 50 Years.
Vaccination Age	CDC suggests that this vaccine should be taken after attaining the age of 60 Years	According to GSK you may take this vaccine after 50 Years of age.
Dosage	Its a single dose vaccine given in one shot	This vaccine is given in two doses with an interval of 2 to 6 months.
How does it work	Live attenuated virus of chicken pox is used in this vaccine to make our immune system create antibodies to fight against Herpes Zoster.	It uses only the antigens in the virus that stimulate the immune system.
Booster Dose	There is no booster dose of Zostavax. The effect of this vaccine fades away with time and does not provide any protection after 8 years. However some studies have shown that booster dose of Zostavax is safe for people over 70 years of age, only if they were not vaccinated in past 10 years.	Studies are going on to find if people vaccinated with Zostavax or Shingrix can get a booster dose of Shingrix or not. It will take some time for these studies to conclude as it is a new vaccine.

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Zoster Vaccine Age Cost and Usage Recommendations

If you have already fallen prey to Chickenpox, then it means that you were infected by Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV). Even after recovery from chickenpox this virus VZV stays in body in dormant state and may reoccur as Herpes Zoster (Shingles). Mostly it reoccurs in elderly age (above 60s). In past few decades some new vaccines were invented with a success rate of above 50%. Here we are going to tell you more about those zoster vaccines and their usage.

Who should get Zoster Vaccine ?

CDC (Center for Disease Control) sugsests that if you are above 60 then you should get vaccinated. Even if you don't remember getting infected with chickenpox you should get one. According to different studies more than 99% of Americans above the age of 40 were infected with chickenpox, even if they don't remember it. If you are already infected with Shingles, you may get this vaccine as this disease can reappear. A dose of zoster vaccine can protect you from Shingles for 5 years. Before getting vaccinated you must consult your healthcare provider.

If you were never infected with Chickenpox ever then should you get Vaccinated with Zoster Vaccine ?
Answer is Yes. As we have mentioned above that around 99% Americans were infected by chickenpox even if they don't remember.

Who should not get Zoster Vaccine ?

• A pregnant Women should never get this Zoster Vaccine. To be more precise you should not get pregnant within 4 weeks after getting this vaccine.
• A person will high fever (above 101 °F) . You should wait till your illness is gone.
• A person suffing from HIV / AIDS.
• A person using steroids should avoid this vaccine and consult a doctor.
• If you ever had an allergy due to gelatin or neomycin, then you should not get this Zoster Vaccine.
• A person getting radiation therapy of chemotherapy should not get Zoster Vaccine.
• If you are affected by cancer of bone marrow or lymphatic system then you should avoid Zoster Vaccine.

How to get Zoster Vaccine ?
You can get this vaccine either at a doctors's office or in a pharmacy.

Zoster Vaccine by different Names and their Cost

• Very first Zoster Vaccine was Zostavax® and is used in America since 2006. This is a single dose vaccine given in one shot. It costs from $100 to $190. Its covered in various health insurance plans, so you may save that amount depending upon your health insurance policy.
• Recently GlaxoSmithKline has launched its shingles vaccine Shingrix and seeking permission from US government. The success rate of this vaccine is claimed to be above 90%. This vaccine is intramuscular and given in 2 doses at a interval of 2 to six months. Clinical trials are also going on to find if already vaccinated people can take it or not.

Singrix versus Zostavax : Read More to know the differences between these two vaccines of the same disease.

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