Does the Zoster Vaccine Prevent Recurrent Shingles?

Current practice guidelines are relatively unhelpful about whether immunocompetent adults who have had initial episodes of shingles should be vaccinated against recurrence. The CDC suggests that the vaccine (Zostavax) should be administered but admits that little evidence supports this recommendation.

California researchers probed the giant Kaiser Permanente database for older patients (age, ≥60) who had received the zoster vaccine 6 months to 2 years after initial episodes of shingles. At a mean 3.3 years after vaccination, the overall recurrence rates were slightly, but not significantly, lower in the vaccinated group than in a matched group of unvaccinated controls (1.9 and 2.4 cases per 1000 person-years). Because of the rarity of cases …