Latest news with #shingles
News24
4 days ago
- Business
- News24
Why most people in South Africa can't get the shingles vaccine
The only shingles vaccine available in SA was discontinued last year. A newer and better vaccine is available in some other countries. While it has not yet been registered in South Africa, it can be obtained by those with money who are willing to jump through some hoops. Shingles is a common and painful condition that mostly affects the elderly and people with weakened immune systems. It generally appears with a telltale red rash and cluster of red blisters on one side of one's body, often in a band-like pattern. 'Shingles is pretty awful to get - it's extremely painful, and some people can get strokes, vision loss, deafness and other horrible manifestations as complications,' said infectious disease specialist Professor Jeremy Nel. 'Shingles really is something to avoid, if at all possible,' he added. One way to prevent the viral infection, is by getting vaccinated against it. But while two vaccines against shingles have been developed and broadly used in the developed world, neither of these are currently available in South Africa. Zostavax, from the pharmaceutical company MSD, was the first vaccine introduced to prevent shingles. It was approved for use in the United States in 2006 and in South Africa in 2011. It is 51% effective against shingles in adults over 60. A more effective vaccine, Shingrix, that is over 90% effective in preventing shingles was introduced by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in the United States in 2016. It is not yet authorised for use in South Africa, but GSK has submitted paperwork for approval with the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra), said the company spokesperson, Kamil Saytkulov. The superior protection offered by Shingrix compared to Zostavax quickly made it the dominant shingles vaccine on the market. As a result, MSD discontinued the production and marketing of Zostavax. MSD spokesperson Cheryl Reddy said Zostavax was discontinued globally in March 2024. Before then, the vaccine was sold in South Africa's private healthcare system for about R2 300, but it was never widely available in government clinics or hospitals. No registered and available vaccine Since Zostavax has been discontinued and Shingrix remains unregistered, the only way to access a vaccine against shingles in South Africa is by going through the onerous process of applying to Sahpra for a Section 21 authorisation - a legal mechanism that allows the importation of unregistered medicines when there is an unmet medical need. 'Access will only be available to those who are able to get Section 21 approval' and 'this is a costly and time-consuming process, requiring motivation by a doctor,' said Dr Leon Geffen, director of the Samson Institute For Ageing Research. The cost of the two-dose Shingrix vaccine imported through Section 21 authorisations is currently around R15 600, said Dr Albie de Frey, CEO of the Travel Doctor Corporation. People who do go through the effort of getting Section 21 authorisation typically have to pay this price out of their own pockets. 'Shingrix is not covered [by Discovery Health] as it is unregistered in South Africa and is therefore considered to be a General Scheme Exclusion,' Dr Noluthando Nematswerani, chief clinical officer at Discovery Health, told Spotlight. The Department of Health did not respond to queries regarding whether Section 21 processes are being pursued for priority patients in the public sector or whether there has been any engagement with GSK regarding the price of this product. People who receive organ transplants, for example, should be prioritised to receive the shingles vaccine as the medications they are given to suppress their immune system puts them at a high risk of developing shingles. Why is the price of Shingrix so high? Unlike South Africa, where companies must sell pharmaceutical products at a single, transparent price in the private sector, the United States has no such requirement. Even so, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) pays $250 or R4 600 for the two-dose Shingrix vaccine through CDC contracts. This is less than a third of the price charged when Shingrix is imported into South Africa. Equity Pharmaceuticals, based in Centurion in Gauteng, is importing GSK's Shingrix for patients that receive Section 21 authorisations to use the unregistered vaccine. It is unclear what price Equity Pharmaceuticals is paying GSK for Shingrix to be imported into South Africa under Section 21 approvals, or what Equity Pharmaceuticals' mark up on the medicine is. When asked about the price of Shingrix in South Africa, Saytkulov told Spotlight: 'Equity Pharmaceuticals is not affiliated with GSK nor is it a business partner or agent of GSK. Therefore, we cannot provide any comments with regards to pricing of a non-licensed product, which has been authorized for importation through Section 21.' READ | Childhood vaccine coverage in SA declined in 2023 - report Equity Pharmaceuticals also said it was difficult to comment on the price. 'The price of a Section 21 product depends on a number of fair considerations, including the forex rate, the quantity, transportation requirements, and the country of importation. Once the price and lead time are defined for an order, the information is shared with the healthcare provider to discuss with their patient and the medical aid,' the company's spokesperson Carel Bouwer told Spotlight. Nematswerani pointed out that 'Section 21 pricing is not regulated' and that price can change due to many factors including supplier costs, product availability, and inflation. What causes shingles? Shingles is caused by the same highly infectious virus that causes chickenpox. Most people are infected with the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) during childhood. Chickenpox occurs when a person is first infected by VZV. When a person recovers from chickenpox, the VZV virus remains dormant in their body but can reactivate later in life as one's immune system weakens. This secondary infection that occurs, typically in old age when the dormant virus reactivates, is called shingles. People who were naturally infected with chickenpox, as well as those vaccinated against chickenpox with a vaccine containing a weakened form of the VZV virus, can get shingles later in life. But, people who were vaccinated against chickenpox have a significantly lower risk of developing shingles later in life compared to those who naturally contracted chickenpox, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The chickenpox vaccine is available in South Africa's private sector, but is not provided in the public sector as part of government's expanded programme on immunisation. Chickenpox is usually mild in most children, but those with weakened immune systems at risk of severe or complicated chickenpox should be vaccinated against it, said Professor James Nuttall, a paediatric infectious diseases sub-specialist at the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and the University of Cape Town. Who should be vaccinated against shingles? South Africa does not have guidelines regarding who should receive the shingles vaccine and when they should receive it. The US CDC recommends that all adults over 50 receive the two-dose Shingrix vaccine. They also recommend that people whose immune systems can't defend their body as effectively as it should, like those living with HIV, should get the vaccine starting from age 19. While Shingrix works better than Zostavax at preventing shingles, it has other advantages that make it a safer and better option for people with weak immune systems. The Zostavax vaccine contains a weakened live form of the VZV virus and thus poses a risk of complications in people with severely weakened immune systems. 'In the profoundly immunosuppressed, the immune system might not control the replication of this weakened virus,' explained Nel. The Shingrix vaccine does not contain any live virus and therefore does not present this risk. ALSO READ | Best shot: Parents urged to have children jabbed amid outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases In March 2025, the WHO recommended that countries where shingles is an important public health problem consider the two-dose shingles vaccine for older adults and people with chronic conditions. '[T]he vaccine is highly effective and licensed for adults age 50 years and older, even if they've had shingles before,' according to the WHO. It advised countries to look at how much the vaccine costs compared to the benefits before deciding to use it. The cost of not vaccinating against shingles The cost of not vaccinating against shingles is high for people who develop the condition, as well as the health system. '[T]he risk of getting shingles in your lifetime is about 20 to 30%... by the age of 80 years, the prevalence is almost 50%,' said Geffen. He added: Shingles is often a painful debilitating condition, with significant morbidity. It can result in chronic debilitating pain which affects sleep, mood and overall function. Beyond preventing shingles and its complications, new evidence suggests that getting the shingles vaccine may also reduce one's risk of developing dementia and heart disease. In April, a large Welsh study published in Nature reported that people who got the Zostavax vaccine against shingles were 20% less likely to develop dementia seven years after receiving the vaccine compared to those who were not vaccinated. In May, a South Korean study published in the European Heart Journal reported that people vaccinated against shingles had a 23% lower risk of cardiovascular events, such as stroke or heart disease, for up to eight years after vaccination.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
How dementia could be triggered by cold sore virus: Cutting-edge research shows it can inflame your brain. But doctors say there's a free NHS jab that can slash your risk - and reveal what to ask for
Could something as simple as getting a shingles jab significantly reduce your risk of dementia? That's the intriguing possibility raised by a growing body of scientific research, which points to common viruses as the true cause. Just last week researchers reported that people who'd had antivirals to treat another herpes virus, herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) which causes cold sores, had a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
RFK Jr misleads on chickenpox vaccine use in Europe
Kennedy's claim came during a May 14, 2025 hearing of the House Appropriations Committee, when Democratic Congressman Mark Pocan asked if he would vaccinate his own children against chickenpox. The secretary did not answer directly, saying: "I don't want to give advice. I can tell you, in Europe, they don't use the chickenpox vaccine, specifically because the pre-clinical trial shows that when you inoculate the population for chickenpox, you get shingles in older people, which is more dangerous" (archived here). Kennedy expressed repeated skepticism over vaccines throughout his more than ten-year career as chairman Children's Health Defense, an organization AFP has regularly fact-checked for spreading misinformation about vaccination. Since taking over at HHS, he has continued to send mixed messages about vaccines that boast long safety records. His response to a measles outbreak in Texas that left two children dead, for example, has been criticized for underemphasizing the efficacy of vaccines that protect against the virus. His agency is also seeking to introduce new testing requirements for all vaccines, which experts worry could make updates for existing shots less available and more expensive. AFP's review of vaccine recommendations across Europe show his comments about chickenpox and shingles are inaccurate. A 2022 study found that 28 European countries administer the shots, with 16 using the MMRV, a vaccine that protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox (archived here and here). According to the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, an agency of the European Union, the chickenpox vaccine is mandatory as of May 2025 for young children in Hungary, Italy and Latvia (archived here). Varicella, commonly referred to as chickenpox, and herpes zoster, also called shingles, are both caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says anyone infected with varicella can develop herpes zoster. While children generally recover from chickenpox in four to seven days, the disease can lead to serious complications, and it is more dangerous for adults. Pregnant individuals are particularly vulnerable, as the virus can harm the fetus (archived here and here). The United States began vaccinating against chickenpox in 1995, making it the first country to add the shot to its routine childhood immunization schedule (archived here). As of 2025, there are two chickenpox vaccines licensed in the United States (archived here). The vaccine's implementation dramatically cut hospitalizations and deaths linked to chickenpox infections, José Romero, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases, told AFP (archived here). "We have a vaccine that is effective, that is safe, that's been tested for over a decade -- over two decades -- and that has really done away with the number of hospitalizations, cases and deaths due to chickenpox," he said May 20, 2025. The CDC estimates that in its first 25 years, the vaccination program prevented 91 million cases of chickenpox while also saving $23.4 billion in healthcare costs (archived here). The agency also says children who get the chickenpox vaccine "have a lower risk of herpes zoster when compared with children infected with wild-type VZV" (archived here). Like chickenpox, shingles causes a painful, itchy rash, but it tends to take two to four weeks to heal. For some 10 to 18 percent of people, the infection results in a more serious long-term nerve pain known as postherpetic neuralgia (archived here). An estimated one million cases of shingles occur annually in the United States. The CDC says the rate among US adults "gradually increased over a long period" for reasons unknown, but that it has "recently plateaued or declined" (archived here). Some evidence has suggested that for adults who had chickenpox in childhood, later exposure to children infected with VZV would boost immunity and prove protective against shingles. But a study from the United Kingdom showed the impact may not be as robust as initially thought (archived here and here). US researchers separately followed the impact of their country's vaccination program from 1998 to 2019. They found that modeling, which predicted the program could precipitate a rise in shingles cases among adults who had previously had chickenpox, was not supported by the real-world data (archived here). They also found that in addition to directly reducing chickenpox morbidity and mortality, the vaccination program "reduced herpes zoster incidence among children and adolescents born in the vaccine era." When the United Kingdom's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation decided to recommend adding the chickenpox vaccine to its schedule of shots for children in 2023, it specifically referenced the study from the United States as alleviating concerns for older populations who have recovered from a varicella infection (archived here). Ellen Rafferty, a researcher at the University of Alberta (archived here), also told the BBC in 2024 that her modeling study from Canada did not show "conclusive evidence" of a surge in shingles cases following the introduction of a chickenpox vaccine program (archived here and here). For adults concerned about shingles, the United States recommends that those over the age of 50 receive a vaccine (archived here). A single shot against the virus first became available in 2006, and in 2017, another vaccine that does not use a live virus earned approval (archived here). Read more of AFP's reporting on vaccine misinformation here.
CTV News
20-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Free shingle vaccines for Nova Scotians 65+
A crowd is gathered Tuesday morning ahead of the province's shingles vaccine announcement. (Source: Carl Pomeroy/CTV)
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AIM Vaccine's Next-Gen mRNA Shingles Vaccine Secures Clinical Approvals in Both PRC and U.S. ,mRNA Platform Advantages Shine Through
HONG KONG, May 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- While global giants like Moderna and BioNTech apply mRNA technology to broader disease markets, PRC's mRNA frontrunner is keeping pace. AIM Vaccine ( a leading domestic vaccine company, announced today that its self-developed mRNA shingles vaccine has received clinical trial approval from PRC's Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE), following its U.S. FDA clearance in March this year. The vaccine has demonstrated significantly stronger humoral and cellular immunity compared to international benchmark products. AIM Vaccine's mRNA platform capabilities are once again in the spotlight. Fosun International Securities recently noted in a research report that AIM's mRNA shingles vaccine could challenge the existing market landscape with its potential for superior efficacy and safety. Immunogenicity Indicators Significantly Outperform International Benchmarks According to the announcement, preclinical trial results from third-party testing institutions demonstrate that AIM's mRNA shingles vaccine shows significantly higher specific T-cell immunity, specific IgG antibody titers, and membrane antigen fluorescent antibody (FAMA) titers compared to internationally marketed recombinant subunit control vaccines. Furthermore, there are currently no mRNA-based shingles vaccines approved for marketing globally. According to recently published industry references, the vaccination rate for shingles vaccines among PRC's target population is less than 1%, indicating enormous growth potential. Fosun International Securities' research report analysis mentions that as PRC's first company to establish a complete mRNA vaccine R&D system, its technological approach successfully avoids existing shingles vaccine patent barriers, creating favorable conditions for entering the global market projected to reach US$23.9 billion annually. mRNA Platform Capabilities Continue to Lead the Industry The competition in mRNA technology platforms between domestic and international companies has reached intensity comparable to an arms race, with infectious disease and cancer vaccines being the key battlegrounds. AIM Vaccine leads the industry through breakthrough progress in infectious disease vaccines. Fosun International Securities' research report released in late March pointed out that AIM Vaccine holds a leading position in PRC's mRNA vaccine field, having obtained 11 clinical approvals across 6 countries, including 2 FDA approvals in the U.S. Its platform technology has been validated by favorable safety and efficacy clinical data from over 10,000 subjects. This latest approval for its mRNA shingles vaccine in PRC further highlights the company's leading position in next-generation vaccine technology and rapid commercialization potential. Some industry observers believe that if PRC companies can continue to overcome core patents, expand indications, and deepen international cooperation, mRNA technology may become a hallmark area for PRC's biopharmaceutical industry to achieve technological leapfrogging. In this cutting-edge field, AIM Vaccine has not only secured clinical approvals in both PRC and the U.S. for its mRNA shingles vaccine and mRNA RSV vaccine, but also has its next-generation mRNA rabies vaccine and mRNA influenza vaccine in pre-IND review and preclinical studies respectively, demonstrating the platform's strong extensibility and laying a solid foundation for sustained development and market leadership. As analyzed by multiple investment institutions, AIM Vaccine combines innovative technology, industry leadership, and growth potential, making it a highly attractive investment choice. They remain optimistic about the company's development prospects driven by industry recovery and new products, and believe its valuation has significant upside potential. View original content: SOURCE AIM Vaccine
