18 June 2018 - - Chicago, Illinois-based medical organization the American Osteopathic Association has released results of a new survey, conducted online in June of 2018, which finds less than two-thirds of Americans are aware that there is a shingles vaccine, the association said.
Shingles vaccination is now nearly twice as effective as the previous protocol and available to patients 10 years younger than before, enabling large-scale prevention of a painful, common condition. Adoption of the new standard of care could vastly reduce the 1m annual cases of the disease, according to osteopathic physicians.
The new vaccine, marketed as Shingrix, is shown to be 97% effective in adults ages 50-69, and more than 90% effective in those 70 to well past 80. The earlier vaccine, Zostavax, prevented just over half of recipients from developing the painful disease and was recommended for patients 60 and older, due to waning immunity over time.
Almost one in three Americans will be afflicted with shingles in their lifetime. Shingles is a painful potentially debilitating illness that is only preventable through vaccination according to the CDC.
In 2016, researchers found only 33% of eligible patients were vaccinated, pointing to the limited efficacy of the previous vaccine, a lack of awareness that the illness can be prevented, and cost concerns.
The American Osteopathic Association represents more than 137,000 osteopathic physicians and osteopathic medical students; promotes public health; encourages scientific research; serves as the primary certifying body for doctors of osteopathic medicine; and is the accrediting agency for osteopathic medical schools.