Zoster (shingles) and Influenza Vaccines Can Be Administered Concomitantly to Adults

[Guest guest]

oh man.................they really don't want to pay out social security

and further medicare benefits.

Kill them off

Sheri

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/566008

Zoster and Influenza Vaccines Can Be Administered Concomitantly to Adults

CME

News Author: Rauscher

CME Author: Vega, MD

Disclosures

Release Date: November 16, 2007; Valid for credit through November 16, 2008

Credits Available

Physicians - maximum of 0.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) " for physicians;

Family Physicians - up to 0.25 AAFP Prescribed credit(s) for physicians

November 16, 2007 In adults aged 50 and older, it is safe and effective

to administer herpes zoster vaccine Zostavax (Merck) concomitantly with

inactivated influenza vaccine, according to results of a large randomized,

controlled study conducted at 20 sites in the US and Europe.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on

Immunization Practices (ACIP) has unanimously recommended that Americans

aged 60 and older receive Zostavax vaccine to prevent herpes zoster.

Clinical trials have shown that Zostavax significantly reduces the

incidence of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia and moderates

symptoms in patients who do have outbreaks.

As both Zostavax and influenza vaccine are recommended for older adults, it

would be convenient to administer them simultaneously, note Dr. Boris

Kerzner, from Health Trends Research, Baltimore, land and colleagues in

a report in the November issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics

Society.

The researchers evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of concomitant and

sequential administration of the two vaccines in adults older than age 50.

A total of 382 subjects in the concomitant vaccine group received influenza

vaccine and Zostavax at separate injection sites on one day and placebo at

week 4. The 380 subjects in the sequential arm received influenza vaccine

and placebo at separate injection sites at day 1 and Zostavax at week 4.

Dr. Kerzner and colleagues found that concomitantly administered Zostavax

and influenza vaccine was " generally well tolerated " and there was no

difference in antibody responses between concomitant and sequential

administration.

" All varicella-zoster virus and influenza immunogenicity endpoints were

met, " they report.

Specifically, varicella-zoster virus antibody geometric mean titers 4 weeks

post-vaccination for the concomitant and sequential groups were 554 and 597

U/mL, respectively, according to glycoprotein enzyme-linked immunosorbent

assay.

" Estimated geometric mean titer ratios (concomitant/sequential) for

influenza strains A(H1N1), A(H3N2) and B were 0.9, 1.1 and 0.9,

respectively, " according to the investigators. Influenza seroconversion

rates were comparable across concomitantly and sequentially vaccinated

subjects, with more than 85% achieving titers " meeting regulatory criteria. "

Supporting the safety of concomitant administration, the researchers found

that the overall incidence of systemic adverse events was similar in both

vaccination arms (roughly 33%), and only about 5% of subjects in each arm

reported vaccine-related systemic adverse events; no serious adverse events

related to Zostavax were observed.

" With the ACIP recommendation for universal use of Zostavax in older

adults, plus data presented from this study, " Dr. Kerzner and colleagues

suggest, " a change in the adult vaccination schedule could occur. The data

presented here support the concomitant administration of Zostavax and

influenza vaccine for older adults. "

J Am Geriatr Soc. 2007;55:1499-1507.

--------------------------------------------------------

Sheri Nakken, former R.N., MA, Hahnemannian Homeopath

Vaccination Information & Choice Network, Nevada City CA & Wales UK

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