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FDA drug approvals seldom are newsworthy, but the October 2017 approval of a new herpes zoster vaccine generated real buzz (NYT Nov 10 2017). Long awaited by both patients and doctors, the new “Shingrix” vaccine seems likely to remedy some of the major deficiencies of its predecessor, “Zostavax.”
Unlike Zostavax, which is a live attenuated vaccine, Shingrix consists of a recombinant zoster glycoprotein along with a potent adjuvant. Thus, it is safe for immunocompromised people who might risk disseminated zoster from a live vaccine. In addition, although no head-to-head trials have been performed, the new vaccine's efficacy seems to be substantially better than that of its predecessor.
In one trial that involved more than 15,000 patients (age,…