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In the original study of the efficacy of herpes zoster (HZ) vaccine, vaccination was associated with 51% fewer HZ cases (JW Gen Med Jun 14 2005). To assess the vaccine's real-world effectiveness, researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from a large prepaid health plan. Nearly 76,000 vaccinated patients were age-matched with 227,000 unvaccinated patients (age, ≥60; all immunocompetent). At baseline, vaccinated patients had slightly fewer emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and chronic disease diagnoses.
During a mean follow-up of 1.6 years, HZ incidence in vaccinated and unvaccinated enrollees was 6.4 and 13.0 per 1000 person-years, respectively. An adjusted analysis showed an overall 55% lower HZ incidence fo…