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Herpes zoster

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Shingles

Prevention:

Avoid contact with the skin lesions of persons with known herpes zoster infection (shingles or chickenpox) if you have never had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine. This is especially true if your immune system is compromised.

The chickenpox (varicella) vaccine is a recommended childhood vaccine. The vaccine may be recommended for teenagers or adults who have never had chickenpox. A recent large trial showed a significant reduction in the complications of shingles and incidence of postherpetic neuralgiain older adults who received the vaccine. Therefore, elderly adults (older than 60 years) should receive the vaccine as part of routine medical care.

• Review Date: 5/26/2006
• Reviewed By: Monica Gandhi MD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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