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The currently available live-attenuated vaccine against herpes zoster has two major limitations: diminishing efficacy against shingles with increasing age of vaccine recipients and contraindication for use in immunocompromised individuals. Recombinant subunit vaccines, which pose no risk for vaccine-induced illness, might be helpful in these regards.
In earlier phase I and II clinical trials involving both older adults and immunocompromised hosts, an adjuvanted subunit vaccine containing varicella zoster virus glycoprotein E (HZ/su) elicited good immunologic responses and showed acceptable safety. Now, researchers (with manufacturer support) have tested this vaccine in a multinational, randomized, placebo-controlled, phase III trial involvin…