The vaccine would only be useful for people who have never contracted herpes simplex. If fever blisters erupt, they should be kept clean and dry to prevent bacterial infections. A soft, bland diet is recommended to avoid irritating the sores and surrounding sensitive areas. Care should be taken to refrain from touching the sores and spreading the virus to new sites, such as the eyes and genitals. To prevent infecting others, kissing should be avoided as well as touching the sores and then touching others.
Little information exists on ways to prevent recurrences of fever blisters.
People who develop recurrences in response to stress should attempt to minimize exposure to stressful situations. Changes in diet by the elimination of rich foods such as nuts, chocolates, seeds or gelatin or by the addition of lysine have been advocated by some investigators. However, none of the above measures has yet proven effective in controlled studies. Several laboratories are developing and testing new antiviral drugs tailored to hamper or prevent blister outbreaks. Investigators are also trying to develop ointments that enable antiviral drugs to penetrate the skin more effectively.