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Zoster Vaccine Live (Oka/Merck)

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Abstract

▴ A subcutaneously administered, live, high-titre (18 700–60 000 plaque-forming units per dose) varicella zoster virus (VZV) vaccine (zoster vaccine) of the Oka/Merck strain has been evaluated for the prevention of herpes zoster and the reduction of zoster-associated pain in adults aged ≥60 years.

▴ Zoster vaccine, when compared with placebo, reduced the burden of herpes zoster illness by 61%, the incidence of herpes zoster by 51% and the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia by 67% during more than 3 years of surveillance.

▴ The zoster vaccine caused an initial 1.7-fold rise in VZV antibody titre after 6 weeks that declined progressively over 3 years.

▴ Increases in γ-interferon-secreting peripheral blood mononuclear cells were 2.2-fold greater with the zoster vaccine than with placebo 6 weeks after vaccination.

▴ Zoster vaccine was generally well tolerated. The most frequently reported adverse reactions following vaccination were injection-site reactions; the only systemic adverse event with zoster vaccine that differed significantly in incidence from that with placebo was headache.

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Notes

  1. The use of trade names is for product identification purposes only and does not imply endorsement.

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  1. Adis International Limited, 41 Centorian Drive, Private Bag 65901, Mairangi Bay, Auckland, 1311, New Zealand

    Dean M. Robinson & Caroline M. Perry

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  1. Dean M. Robinson
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  2. Caroline M. Perry
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Correspondence to Dean M. Robinson.

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Robinson, D.M., Perry, C.M. Zoster Vaccine Live (Oka/Merck). Drugs Aging 23, 525–531 (2006). https://doi.org/10.2165/00002512-200623060-00007

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