Most adults remember their childhood encounter with itchy chicken pox.
And when the sores go away, the virus sticks around, lying dormant in nerve tissue. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the St. Louis Veterans Affairs Medical Center are finding out whether an enhanced version of the chicken pox vaccine could prevent or diminish shingles when given to older adults. Actually preventing the disease would be a significant advance in geriatric medicine. However, the risk of serious complications increases with age, weakened immunity and failure to get prompt treatment. In severe cases, persistent pain can last months or even years.