“The disease carried by Herpes zoster, commonly called ‘shingles’, particularly affects frail patients and those over 65. It is caused by the reactivation of the varicella virus, made possible in turn by a reduced immune response, the disease is not in itself fatal – as influenza or pneumococcal pneumonia can be – but the pain and disability that this can cause seriously compromise the quality of life and health of those affected”. This was stated by Roberto Bernabei, president of Italia Longeva, the national association for aging and active longevity, on the sidelines of his speech at the meeting ‘Strategies and tools to increase vaccine prevention against Herpes zoster’, organized for promoting vaccination prevention against Herpes zoster and part of a wider awareness project which includes the social campaign and the commercial #MiVaccinoNonMiAccendo.
“The shingles – continued Bernabei – can in fact lead to serious complications: ranging from loss of vision, if the virus attacks the nerve bands that pertain to the eye, to post-herpetic neuralgia, characterized by excruciating pain – even resistant to opiates – in locations where the pathogen has been found in. Today, however – concludes the president of Italia Longeva – there is the possibility of doing prevention with an efficacy percentage of more than 90%: it is the first vaccine against Herpes zoster, reimbursed by the NHS for citizens over 65, which guarantees longevity and a better quality of life”.
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