Herpes Zoster Vaccine and Incidence of Recurrent Disease

Many questions remain regarding the herpes zoster (HZ) vaccine; moreover, shortages of this product continue to occur. One question important to patients, providers, and policy-makers who determine vaccination priorities is whether the vaccine is effective in preventing HZ recurrence.

To explore this issue, investigators conducted a matched cohort study within the Kaiser Permanente Southern California system. The vaccinated cohort consisted of system members aged ≥60 who had received HZ vaccine between 2007 and 2010. The unvaccinated cohort comprised randomly chosen unvaccinated members who were matched 5:1 to the vaccinated individuals based on birth date (±1 year); each one was assigned an index date corresponding to the vaccination date o…