The herpes zoster vaccine is indicated for people over the age of fifty and is administered subcutaneously to one arm (deltoid area) in a single dose.
Zostavax - Merck Sharp & Dohme BV (click to open)
ZOSTAVAX is indicated for the prevention of herpes zoster (“zoster” or shingles) and post herpetic neuralgia (post-herpes neuralgia, PHN) associated with herpes zoster.
Dosage declared by the manufacturer
ZOSTAVAX is indicated for the immunization of individuals 50 years of age and older.
Adverse events declared by the manufacturer
- Varicella Herpes zoster (vaccine strain
- Lymphadenopathy (cervical, axillary)
- Hypersensitivity reactions including anaphylactic reactions
- Headache
- Necrotizing retinitis (patients on immunosuppressive therapy)
- Nausea
- Rash
- Arthralgia, Myalgia, Pain in extremity
- Erythema
- itch
- Swelling
- Urticaria at the injection site
- Pyrexia
Qualitative composition declared by the manufacturer
- Varicella-zoster virus1, Oka/Merck strain, (live, attenuated) not less than 19.400 PFU
- produced in human diploid cells (MRC-5)
- Sucrose
- Hydrolyzed gelatin
- Sodium chloride
- Potassium dihydrogen phosphate
- Potassium chloride
- Monosodium L-glutamate monohydrate
- Disodium phosphate
- Sodium hydroxide (for pH adjustment)
- Urea
- Solvent:
- Water for injections
Curiosity
Merck, the maker of Zostavax, is currently suing and defending against lawsuits alleging the vaccine caused serious side effects, including death.(a) In December 2022, a Pennsylvania federal judge dismissed nearly 1.200 shingles claims after the Zostavax vaccine. The claims were reportedly denied by the judge due to a lack of evidence that the shingles rash was related to the vaccine. Other lawsuits involving both autoimmune disorders and hearing loss are ongoing.(B) Merck discontinued sales of Zostavax in the United States in November 2020.(C)
- Luhana, R. Merck Files Motion to Consolidate Zostavax Lawsuits in Florida. The Legal Examiner May 30, 2018.
- Kansteiner F. Merck escapes nearly 1,200 Zostavax shingles vaccine lawsuits as plaintiffs' testimony falls short. Fierce Pharma Dec 8, 2022.
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What Everyone Should Know About Zostavax. In: Vaccines and Preventable Diseases. Oct. 5, 2020.
Shingrix-GlaxoSmithKline (click to open)
Shingrix is a vaccine against shingles and post herpetic neuralgia (PHN), the long-lasting nerve pain that follows shingles.
Dosage declared by the manufacturer
- Varicella Zoster virus adjuvanted with AS01 B
- Quillaja saponaria Molina plant extract
- 3-O-desacyl-4'-monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL) from Salmonella minnesota 50 micrograms
- glycoprotein E (gE) produced by recombinant DNA technology in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells
- Powder (gE antigen):
- Sucrose
- Polysorbate 80 (E 433)
- Sodium dihydrogen phosphate dihydrate (E 339)
- Potassium hydrogen phosphate (E 340)
- Suspension (AS01 B Adjuvant System):
- Dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine (E 322)
- Cholesterol
- Sodium chloride
- Dibasic sodium phosphate anhydrous (E 339)
- Potassium dihydrogen phosphate (E 340)
- Water for injections
Adverse events declared by the manufacturer
- lymphadenopathy
- Hypersensitivity reactions including rash, urticaria, angioedema
- headache
- gastrointestinal symptoms (including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and/or abdominal pain)
- myalgia
- arthralgia
- injection site reaction (such as pain, redness, swelling), fatigue, chills, fever
- injection site itching, malaise
Qualitative composition declared by the manufacturer
- Varicella Zoster virus adjuvanted with AS01 B
- Quillaja saponaria Molina plant extract, fraction 21 (QS-21)
- 3-O-desacyl-4'-monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL) from Salmonella minnesota
- glycoprotein E (gE) produced by recombinant DNA technology in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells
Curiosity
According to the US SHINGRIX vaccine package insert, adverse events reported during the clinical trial included pain, swelling, and redness at the injection site, headache, fever, fatigue, chills, gastrointestinal problems, gout, and ischemic optic neuropathy.
On March 24, 2021, the FDA announced that it would require a new package insert warning about increased risk of Guillain Barré syndrome within 42 days of receiving the vaccine. (a)
