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FDA Approves Shingles Vaccine
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| Boomer187 |
SOURCE
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FRIDAY, May 26 (HealthDay News) -- A new vaccine that can protect as many as 50 percent of older adults from developing shingles has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA on Thursday licensed Zostavax, the new vaccine made by Merck & Co., which significantly reduces the risk of shingles (herpes zoster) in people 60 years of age and older.
Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. After someone has had chickenpox, the virus lies dormant in nerve tissue. As people get older, the virus can reappear in the form of shingles. It is estimated that shingles affects two in every 10 people in their lifetime.
Shingles appears as clusters of blisters that develop on one side of the body and can cause severe pain that may last for weeks, months or years.
"We believe this vaccine will help reduce the risk of shingles in individuals 60 years of age and older," said Dr. Jesse Goodman, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. "This is the only vaccine that reduces the risk or reactivation of varicella-zoster virus," he added.
The vaccine is unique, said Norman Baylor, director of the FDA's Office of Vaccines Research and Review at the Center for Biologics and Evaluation and Research. "We are seeing the benefit of vaccines to the adult population," he said.
The vaccine isn't designed to prevent new infections but rather to prevent the reemergence of an infection, Baylor said. "This vaccine does not prevent infection. It is essentially boosting an older person's immunity against the virus, in order to prevent the virus from emerging and causing shingles," he said.
"This vaccine will have a significant impact on what is an increasing and painful disease in an increasing elderly population," Baylor added.
The vaccine is not intended for people who have or have had shingles. "The vaccine will not treat shingles," Baylor said. "The whole idea of this vaccine is to prevent people from getting it."
The vaccine also isn't recommended for people whose immune systems are compromised, such as those with HIV/AIDS, or patients receiving immunosuppressant therapy, Baylor said.
One expert thinks every adult over 60 should get the vaccine.
"I am absolutely delighted that it got approved," said Dr. Donald Gilden, professor and chairman of the Department of Neurology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. "It has been tested for 10 years and shown to reduce the incidence of shingles by 50 percent."
Since shingles affects about 1 million people in the United States each year, the vaccine could offer a significant benefit, Gilden said. "It's not going to wipe out shingles," he said, "but it will reduce the incidence of shingles very effectively."
Another expert agrees the vaccine can have a significant impact.
"This is a terrific advance, with major implications in preventing a serious, common, chronic pain condition," said Dr. Anne Louise Oaklander, the director of the Nerve Injury Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital and an associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School.
Oaklander said the vaccine offers great benefit with very little risk. "The benefits are potentially enormous," she said, "not only in lessening illness from shingles, but in preventing postherpetic neuralgia, a devastating pain condition that commonly develops in older shingles patients."
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This brightens my day after losing at poker....sonofabiotch...2 pair off the flop, and kid gets a lower two pair on the turn...and this whore lands a gut shot straight on the river...after soo many raises.
ROFSMAO |
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| tribu |
pwned.
What nasty side effect will rear it's head through this drug, prompting an multi hundred-million dollar settlement? |
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| Zenchowdah |
| quote: | Originally posted by tribu
pwned.
What nasty side effect will rear it's head through this drug, prompting an multi hundred-million dollar settlement? |
side effect : slow mutie |
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| Sunflower |
| didn't they have a cervic cancer vaccine too that was fiercely opposed by the christian right? |
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| Theresa |
I got shingles when I was 10.
Seriously... that sucked hardcore.
I had to sit in a cold bath 3 times a day for about a half hour each time, with weird powdery for 2 weeks. Booerns :( Massive painful too :(
I wonder if you have already had it, if you can get it again or not.. :conf: |
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| Omega_Blue |
| quote: | Originally posted by Boomer187
This brightens my day after losing at poker....sonofabiotch...2 pair off the flop, and kid gets a lower two pair on the turn...and this whore lands a gut shot straight on the river...after soo many raises.
ROFSMAO |
lol, i hate when that happens |
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| kdepa |
| quote: | Originally posted by Theresa
I got shingles when I was 10.
Seriously... that sucked hardcore.
I had to sit in a cold bath 3 times a day for about a half hour each time, with weird powdery for 2 weeks. Booerns :( Massive painful too :(
I wonder if you have already had it, if you can get it again or not.. :conf: |
Like chickenpox, you shouldn't get Shingles a second time. Often people get shingles if they didn't have a bad case of chickenpox - varicella zoster/herpes zoster viruses generally don't come back.
I had Bell's Palsy a while back, which is caused by a virus in the herpes family (like chickenpox/shingles) and my doctor said that I wont get it again. |
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| Boomer187 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Omega_Blue
lol, i hate when that happens |
en A, it ruined my night.
But I was back at a bar in the same casino and my friend got into a fight there. Then as we were leaving (not getting kicked out) 2 security guards wanted to fight him, and then me. We would have taken their New york wannabe asses to the curb, but we weren't there to kick ass, just get a law suit. but they didn't swing, the pussies.
hehe, alcohol and ufc gets your going. !!!! |
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| tribu |
Hahaha I did the same last night but at a buddy's house. 5 hours of cash game (where I doubled my $) plus 2 hours of UFC. Didn't watch that bull fight afte the main event but watching that guy's bicep get torn was pretty crazy.
Oh, I got revenge on that guy that straight flushed to beat my full house a couple weeks ago by flopping a boat and kicking his flush to the curb for a huge pot. Ah victory is sweet |
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| Vivid Boy |
| quote: | Originally posted by tribu
Hahaha I did the same last night but at a buddy's house. 5 hours of cash game (where I doubled my $) plus 2 hours of UFC. Didn't watch that bull fight afte the main event but watching that guy's bicep get torn was pretty crazy.
Oh, I got revenge on that guy that straight flushed to beat my full house a couple weeks ago by flopping a boat and kicking his flush to the curb for a huge pot. Ah victory is sweet |
thats a shame cause the bull fights after the main card actually made that payper view last night. last nights pay per view was horrible till those last 2 knock outs |
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| tribu |
| quote: | Originally posted by Vivid Boy
thats a shame cause the bull fights after the main card actually made that payper view last night. last nights pay per view was horrible till those last 2 knock outs |
This was actually trhe first UFC event I've ever actually watched. I actually expected alot more, I was thinking it was like boxing match length, not 3 rounds and matches over in 2 minutes. Its still pretty easy to get into though. We ended up going to rip the waterpipe and play euchre, plus I was pretty ed to the sky already, so if I missed a few, oh well |
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| Boomer187 |
yea Melvin got the best knockout of the night, it was sooo loud.
and boxing length rounds....yea freakin right. Id like to see someone last 12 ufc rounds. :)
it was a pretty decent ufc since most fighters actually finished the fight off. And at least the refs made a good decision on that one decision. |
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