The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) says Merck and Co.'s vaccine, Zostavax, can protect as many as 50 percent of older adults from developing shingles.
Zostavax, received its approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier this year, and the approval by the ACIP means many health care insurance providers will likely cover the vaccine.
Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt Medical School in Nashville, and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases liaison to the ACIP tells Forbes, "Now we have a strong, absolute recommendation that this vaccine is recommended for every person 60 and over, so this notches it up beyond the usual 'doctor-and-patient should consider this.'"
"In effect, the advisory committee has established a new standard of care. Every patient should be vaccinated. That's how important they think the problem is and how good they think the vaccine is."
