Please Note: Due to volume considerations, not all questions can be answered. Questions most likely to be answered will be those of general interest to a broad group of visitors to this forum. Questions pertaining to a specific case; requests for diagnosis, medical advice, or second opinion; or requests for opinions about untested alternative therapies will generally not be answered.
The participation of Dr. Graeme Moyle in this Forum is made possible by Gilead Sciences.
Ask the Experts about Aging With HIV
More shingles vaccine questions
Jul 17, 2008
I read your recent answer on this topic and have the following questions, first, if you were vaccinated against chickenpox (I was vaccinated in 1999) should you still get the shingles vaccine? Second, for how long should I stop using my Valtrex before I can take the shingles vaccine? I am in my mid forties and asymptomatic, with 19% percentage.
Response from Dr. Moyle
The shingle vaccine, Zostavax, is approved for use in people 60 years old and older to prevent shingles. This is a one-time vaccination. Zostavax does not treat shingles or post-herpetic neuralgia. It has not been fully studied in persons with HIV. Some data exist, mainly in children, indicating that the Varicella vaccine (Varivax) cab be used in prsons with HIV and healthy immune systems. It is indicated for persons with no history of childhood chicken pox and provided prolonged prtection. The zoster vaccine package insert makes no reference to varicella history, and almost all persons 60 years old or older are immune to varicella. Thus, prior vaccination with Varivax is not an obstacle to Zostavax receipt.
Although guidance is vague, the use of valtex should stop about a week before Zostavax and can recommence 3 weeks later.
regards
DR Moyle
Please remember that this forum is designed for educational purposes only, and experts are not engaged through this
forum in rendering legal or medical advice or professional services. Experts appearing on this page are independent and are solely responsible
for editing and fact-checking their material. Neither The Body nor any sponsor is the publisher or speaker of posted visitors' questions or the experts' material.
Questions and messages posted to this forum are not statements of advice, opinion, or information of The Body, Body Health Resources Corporation or any sponsor of this
forum. While neither The Body nor Body Health Resources Corporation regularly reviews posted content, we reserve the right to delete, move, or
edit postings if we deem it appropriate under the circumstances. Visitors submitting questions remain solely responsible for the content of their
messages.
Information provided by experts is general only and should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease, or relied upon as
legal or other professional advice. This information is not a substitute for professional advice or care. If you have or suspect you may have a
health or legal problem, you should consult your own health care provider or your attorney.
