Herpes zoster, the so-called ‘shingles’, affects about 150 thousand Italians a year. And in some cases it gives rise to a disabling complication, post-herpetic neuralgia, which reduces the quality of life of those affected. It is estimated that approx one in 3 adults is at risk of developing at least one episode and the incidence and severity increase with age, reaching one in 2 people over 85 years of age. To take stock of the disease and the new health opportunities offered by vaccination – thanks to new recombinant vaccine available today also in our country – was a panel of experts during the online meeting “Protecting oneself from herpes zoster, an opportunity not to be missed. When innovation meets prevention”, organized today by Gsk Italia.
Italy also contributed to the registration of the new vaccine, with 5 registration clinical studies involving 47 centers. “The long Italian tradition in the field of vaccination and public health has meant that we have been and are at the forefront also in the clinical development of the vaccine”, he said. Giancarlo Icardi, Professor of Hygiene at the University of Genoa. “As experimenters we were the first to note not only the safety, but also the excellent performance of this vaccine in all subjects who are eligible for vaccination against herpes zoster“, he added.
As for the practical use of the vaccine, “general practitioners can only be at the forefront of shingles prevention. And even more thanks to the availability of an innovative vaccine that presents characteristics perfect for use in our setting “, he stressed Tommasa Maio, national secretary of the Italian Federation of General Practitioners – Continuity of care. “The effectiveness of general practitioners in the preventive field – he added – is demonstrated. Covid has made this role even more evident. General practitioners, in their 60 thousand studies widely distributed throughout the territory, in autumn vaccinated in safety over 11 million Italians from the flu in just 10 weeks, despite the fact that we were in full second pandemic wave and despite the fact that we had not been vaccinated against Covid. We have been working on the motivation to join the vaccination for some time and the relationship with patients is consolidated also in the vaccination field “.
Up to now, a live attenuated vaccine was available in Italy, capable of reducing cases of post-herpetic neuralgia by about 65% and about 50% of all clinical cases of herpes zoster. But the effectiveness decreases with age, going from 70% in the fifties to 41% in the seventies. The efficacy of the new adjuvanted recombinant vaccine, evaluated in people who were given two doses 2 months apart, it is instead around 97% in the fifties and 91% in people over seventy. The advantages also include the possibility of using it in subjects previously vaccinated with the live attenuated vaccine, of co-administering it with other vaccines, the persistence of the protection for several years and the effectiveness against post-herpetic neuralgia.
“The new adjuvanted recombinant vaccine is a very important step forward in consideration of its high effectiveness both in the short and long term, especially for people over 65, given that zoster is a very frequent pathology in the adult population and with serious complications “, explained Massimo Andreoni, Professor of Infectious Diseases at the Tor Vergata University of Rome. “In addition – he added – the vaccine available up to now was a live attenuated virus, not usable precisely where there is greater need: in immunosuppressed patients who can now benefit from this new preventive option”.
During the press meeting, the case of the Lombardy Region was recalled, which decided to immediately adopt this new vaccination for its citizens at risk through a tender procedure which, in recent days, saw the award in favor of the recombinant vaccine adjuvant of Gsk. “The pandemic emergency – he stressed Fabio Landazabal, president and CEO of Gsk Italia – it taught us the importance of not letting our guard down and preserving essential services to protect everyone, giving new meaning to adult vaccination as a person whose quality of life and role in society are protected. By transforming the perspectives of those at risk of shingles, we renew our promise to build real innovation for patients, starting right from our research and manufacturing excellence in Tuscany from where the vaccine is produced and distributed around the world “.