Shingles

January 2006     View PDF     En español
Reprinted from www.aidsmeds.com, US

Can shingles be prevented?

While a vaccine to help prevent shingles was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2006, it is not yet recommended for people with HIV. The vaccine, called Zostavax®, is a booster version of Merck’s chickenpox vaccine Varivax®. Zostavax is approved for people who are 60 years of age or older and have had chickenpox in the past.

Because Zostavax is a live, attenuated vaccine, it can result in more extensive side effects, including severe rash and disseminated disease, in people with compromised immune systems. Zostavax has not yet been fully evaluated in people with compromised immune systems, including people with HIV. It is probably best that the vaccine be avoided by all HIV-positive people, regardless of their immune system status, until necessary clinical trials are completed.

At the present time, keeping the immune system healthy is the best way to prevent shingles. This means keeping your viral load low and your T-cells high using anti-HIV drug treatment and by adopting a healthy lifestyle.