Sanofi Pasteur MSD’s shingles vaccines accepted for UK immunisation

Sanofi Pasteur MSD has announced that its shingles vaccine has been approved for continued use within the UK's national immunisation programme for the next two years.

An evaluation of the vaccine's clinical and cost effectiveness was carried out by Public Health England, revealing that a single-dose schedule of Zostavax cut the incidence of shingles by 38 percent and boosted immunity for at least five years.

This conclusion reflected the findings of clinical trials involving 17,775 adults aged 70 years and over, with the data also showing that the vaccine reduced the burden of illness by 55 percent and cut the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia by 66.8 percent.

Currently, an estimated 50,000 cases of shingles occur in people aged 70 years and older each year in England and Wales, of which around 1,400 result in hospitalisation.

Stephan Loose, director for external affairs at Sanofi Pasteur MSD, said: "We are committed to working with healthcare professionals to ensure completion of the programme within the remaining eligible cohorts."