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Systematic review of clinical studies suggests newer shingles vaccine far more effective

But the research found Shingrix had higher risk of side effects

Date:
October 25, 2018
Source:
St. Michael's Hospital
Summary:
A systematic review of clinical studies involving more than two million patients aged 50 years and older suggests the newer shingles vaccine Shingrix was far more successful in preventing the painful condition compared to the older vaccine Zostavax.
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FULL STORY

A systematic review of clinical studies involving more than two million patients aged 50 years and older suggests a recently released shingles vaccine was far more successful in preventing the painful condition compared to the older vaccine -- but also carried greater risk of side-effects.

The research was published Thursday by The BMJ.

The adjuvant, recombinant subunit vaccine -- sold under the brand name Shingrix -- was found to be 85 per cent more effective in reducing cases of shingles, also known as herpes zoster, compared to Zostavax, which is a live-attenuated shingles vaccine available for use in Canada since 2006.

The use of Shingrix did lead to 30 per cent more injection-site adverse events, such as redness or swelling. No statistically significant differences were identified between the two vaccines for serious adverse events and deaths.

"There haven't been any head-to-head studies comparing the two shingles vaccines, so the results from our systematic review can be employed by policy-makers, clinicians, and patients to make their decisions on the use of these vaccines," said Dr. Andrea Tricco, a scientist with St. Michael's Hospital's Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute and associate professor at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

"If you have to choose between two vaccines and you have evidence showing that one of the vaccines is a little more effective, or a little safer than the other, then you might be more willing to take the safer and more effective one."

Shingles is a viral infection that occurs through reactivation of latent varicella zoster virus, which causes chickenpox.

About one in four people will develop shingles in their lifetime and about two-thirds get it after the age of 50.

This review, which included 27 unique studies, was funded through an unrestricted research grant from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research Drug Safety and Effectiveness Network.


Story Source:

Materials provided by St. Michael's Hospital. Original written by Michael Oliveira. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Andrea C Tricco, Wasifa Zarin, Roberta Cardoso, Areti-Angeliki Veroniki, Paul A Khan, Vera Nincic, Marco Ghassemi, Rachel Warren, Jane P Sharpe, Andrea V Page, Sharon E Straus. Efficacy, effectiveness, and safety of herpes zoster vaccines in adults aged 50 and older: systematic review and network meta-analysis. BMJ, 2018; k4029 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.k4029

Cite This Page:

St. Michael's Hospital. "Systematic review of clinical studies suggests newer shingles vaccine far more effective." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 25 October 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181025141038.htm>.
St. Michael's Hospital. (2018, October 25). Systematic review of clinical studies suggests newer shingles vaccine far more effective. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 21, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181025141038.htm
St. Michael's Hospital. "Systematic review of clinical studies suggests newer shingles vaccine far more effective." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181025141038.htm (accessed December 21, 2024).

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