Beyonds lawsuits that claim Zostavax can cause serious injuries, the American health system is shifting away from recommending Zostavax in favor of what is reportedly a safer and more effective vaccine.
In October 2017 the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which advises the CDC, officially began recommending a new shingles vaccine over Zostavax. The new vaccine, Shingrix, is manufactured by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline and was approved by the FDA in October.
The vaccines differ in a few ways. Studies show that Shingrix is 98 percent effective against shingles for people between the ages of 50 and 69, and 91 percent effective against post-herpetic neuralgia for people 50 and older, according to The New York Times. By comparison, Zostavax is 51 percent effective against shingles and 67 percent effective against post-herpetic neuralgia.
Additionally, while Zostavax uses a live, but weakened form of the whole herpes zoster virus, Shingrix uses a non-live piece of the virus (also known as a “sub-unit vaccine”), which can reduce the possibility of an adverse reaction. Sub-unit vaccines can also be safely used on most people with weakened immune systems and long-term health problems, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.