Shingles vaccine Pharma major GSK has come up with Shingrix, a vaccine for shingles disease. It is an infectious disease that can occur in any part of a person’s body, majorly affecting the elderly. According to the World Health Organization, shingles is a global health problem. One in every three individuals can get shingles, and the incidence and prevalence of the disease varies between countries and regions.
Shingrix was initially approved in the US in 2017 and in Europe in 2018. It is now available in over 20 countries, including in India.
Dr Umang Agrawal, Infectious Diseases Consultant at PD Hinduja Hospitals and Medical Research Centre, said Shingles results due to reactivation of the chickenpox virus that occurs in early childhood or adulthood. “As far as the existing treatments are concerned, drugs such as famciclovir, valacyclovir as well as acyclovir are currently available for its treatment.”
In India, and Asia at large, the disease burden of shingles is considerable, with an estimated annual incidence of 1.5 to 3.9 cases per 1,000 person-years.
Dr Dipu T.S., associate professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, Amrita Hospital, said Shingrix demonstrated a high efficacy rate of over 90 per cent in preventing shingles and its complications, particularly postherpetic neuralgia – a persistent nerve pain that can last for months or years, even after the rash has healed across all age groups.
“This vaccine has the potential to substantially reduce the disease burden and associated healthcare costs, especially among older adults and those with compromised immune systems,” he said.
Shingles can lead to a range of complications, like bacterial skin infections, scarring and vision or hearing problems, if the rash affects the eyes or ears.
According to Dr Kanan Shah, a consultant dermatologist at Sterling Hospital, Gurukul, shingles can also affect the brain or spinal cord in rare cases, causing neurological issues like encephalitis or meningitis. People with weakened immune systems or underlying medical conditions are at higher risk of complications.
The vaccine's affordability in India can play a vital role in reducing the incidence and severity of shingles.
The efficacy continues to be researched by experts.
Business strategy and forecasting expert Sanobar Syed said, “GSK, in the Indian market, aims to serve 2.5 billion people in the next 10 years. However, lack of awareness regarding shingles, market access and last few years’ tepid performance due to Covid disruptions of the vaccine portfolio in India can impact the market uptake.”
Two doses of Shingrix are recommended for adults aged 50 years and above for prevention of herpes zoster (reactivation of chickenpox virus in the body) and post-herpetic neuralgia. “The second dose of Shingrix should typically be given two to six months after the first,” said Bhushan Akshikar, MD of GSK.
