Shingles Vaccine: Effective and Costly or Cost-Effective?
Authors: Jeffrey P. Koplan, Rafael Harpaz
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2006)

Editorials5 September 2006Shingles Vaccine: Effective and Costly or Cost-Effective?Jeffrey P. Koplan, MD, MPH and Rafael Harpaz, MD, MPHJeffrey P. Koplan, MD, MPHFrom Woodruff Health Sciences Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, and National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333.Search for more papers by this author and Rafael Harpaz, MD, MPHFrom Woodruff Health Sciences Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, and National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-145-5-200609050-00012 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail The epidemiology and clinical impact of the varicella- zoster virus (VZV) changed dramatically with the introduction in 1995 of the varicella vaccine, after which the incidence of varicella in children plummeted (1). Nevertheless, the entire adult U.S. population remains at risk for shingles, a late complication of earlier varicella infection, and that risk is likely to increase as the baby boom generation ages and life expectancy increases. Shingles is characterized by a painful vesicular eruption in a dermatomal distribution and is caused by the reactivation of latent VZV in sensory ganglia. Approximately 25% of the U.S. population will have a ...References1. Seward JF, Watson BM, Peterson CL, Mascola L, Pelosi JW, Zhang JX, et al. Varicella disease after introduction of varicella vaccine in the United States, 1995-2000. JAMA. 2002;287:606-11. [PMID: 11829699] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Plotkin SA, Orenstein WA, eds. Vaccines. 4th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders; 2004:783-823. Google Scholar3. Oxman MN, Levin MJ, Johnson GR, Schmader KE, Straus SE, Gelb LD, et al. A vaccine to prevent herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia in older adults. N Engl J Med. 2005;352:2271-84. [PMID: 15930418] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Vaccine Price List. Accessed at www.cdc.gov/nip/vfc/cdc_vac_price_list.htm on 29 June 2006. Google Scholar5. Hornberger J, Robertus K. Cost-effectiveness of a vaccine to prevent herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia in older adults. Ann Intern Med. 2006;145:317-25. LinkGoogle Scholar6. Primer on cost-effectiveness analysis. Eff Clin Pract. 2000;3:253-5. Accessed at www.acponline.org/journal/ecp/sepoct00/primer.htm on 17 July 2006. Google Scholar7. The CEA Registry. Tufts-New England Medical Center Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies. Accessed at www.tufts-nemc.org/cearegistry on 17 July 2006. Google Scholar8. World Health Organization. Choosing Interventions That Are Cost-Effective. Table: Threshold Values for Intervention Cost-Effectiveness by Region. Accessed at www.who.int/choice/costs/CER_levels/en/index.html on 17 July 2006. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Woodruff Health Sciences Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, and National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333.Disclosures:Grants received: J.P. Koplan (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).Corresponding Author: Jeffrey P. Koplan, MD, MPH, Woodruff Health Sciences Center, Emory University, 1440 Clifton Road, NE, Suite 410, Atlanta, GA 30322.Current Author Addresses: Dr. Koplan: Woodruff Health Sciences Center, Emory University, 1440 Clifton Road, NE, Suite 410, Atlanta, GA 30322.Dr. Harpaz: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, Mail Stop A-47, Atlanta, GA 30333. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoCost-Effectiveness of a Vaccine To Prevent Herpes Zoster and Postherpetic Neuralgia in Older Adults John Hornberger and Katherine Robertus Metrics Cited ByNonneoplastic Disorders of the Aging SkinNon-neoplastic Disorders of the Aging SkinNon-neoplastic Disorders of the Aging SkinClinical Implications of Aging SkinThe herpes zoster vaccineEconomics of infection control surveillance technology: Cost-effective or just cost?Vacunas frente al virus de la varicela zósterEvaluation of the cost-effectiveness in the United States of a vaccine to prevent herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia in older adultsRaising Standards While Watching the Bottom Line Making a Business Case for Infection ControlVaccination to prevent zoster in the elderlyZoster Vaccine Live 5 September 2006Volume 145, Issue 5Page: 386-387KeywordsAge distributionClinical epidemiologyHepatitis BLife expectancyPneumococcusPulmonary diseasesSafetyShinglesVaccines ePublished: 5 September 2006 Issue Published: 5 September 2006 CopyrightCopyright © 2006 by American College of Physicians. 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