Adapted from BMJ 9 August 2025
Vaccination against herpes zoster is very effective in preventing shingles and post herpetic neuralgia in older people.
In Korea, examination of results after vaccination also indicate that major cardiac events reduced by one third. The protective effect lasted eight years after vaccination.
In the UK, the vaccine has been rolled out over the last ten years or so, and people are called depending on their date of birth. If you get invited, it is well worth getting the vaccine.
Other research has shown that the vaccine prevents shingles entirely only for the first year after vaccination and after that shingles becomes increasingly common again till almost all immunity is lost at the ten year point. However, there is still a reduced rate of post herpetic neuralgia in those who have been vaccinated.
Booster doses of the vaccine have been shown to reactivate vaccination effectiveness but so far this is not being done routinely in the UK.
Diabetes Diet 