title: [Is it possible to prevent herpes zoster through vaccination?].
abstract: The annualized incidence of herpes zoster, due to the endogenous reactivation of varicella zoster virus (VZV), varies between 2 and 5 cases per 1,000 persons with a clear increase over 60 years of age. Mass vaccination against varicella in infants could decrease natural boosters with an increase in zoster incidence. Efficacy of a high titre VZV vaccine in preventing zoster and its sequelae was demonstrated in a multicentric study on over 38.000 older adults. The availability of a specific anti zoster vaccine, recently approved by FDA, could offer an important tool to reduce health problems and improve quality of life in the elderly.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica, Università Tor Vergata, Roma.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zaratti
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ambrosini-Spinella
mesh_terms: D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000453:epidemiology; D053061:Herpes Zoster Vaccine; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine; D053061:Herpes Zoster Vaccine