Is it true that Chickenpox vaccine may protect kids from shingles (Reuters)?”
A study of more than 170,000 children 12 and under who got Merck & Co Inc’s chickenpox vaccine between 2002 to 2008 found only 122 cases of shingles or 1 case in 3,700 children who got the vaccine, an unexpectedly low rate, the team reported in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. Shingles, sometimes called herpes zoster, is a painful recurrence of the chickenpox virus, which can lurk in the body for a lifetime. The infection usually starts with a rash on the face or body, and causes pain, itching or tingling. “The message to parents and pediatricians is: vaccinating your child against the chickenpox is also a good way to reduce their chances of getting herpes zoster,” said HungFu Tseng, a research scientist and epidemiologist at Kaiser Permanente in Pasadena, California. “We decided to examine this because it is generally believed that the vaccine would reduce the risk of chickenpox, and the risk of childhood shingles is not well quantified,” Tseng said in e-mailed comments. Tsen
CHICAGO (Reuters) – Children who get vaccinated against chickenpox may have a lower risk of developing shingles, a painful rash caused by the chickenpox virus, U.S. researchers said on Friday. A study of more than 170,000 children 12 and under who got Merck & Co Inc’s chickenpox vaccine between 2002 to 2008 found only 122 cases of shingles or 1 case in 3,700 children who got the vaccine, an unexpectedly low rate, the team reported in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. Shingles, sometimes called herpes zoster, is a painful recurrence of the chickenpox virus, which can lurk in the body for a lifetime. The infection usually starts with a rash on the face or body, and causes pain, itching or tingling. “The message to parents and pediatricians is: vaccinating your child against the chickenpox is also a good way to reduce their chances of getting herpes zoster,” said HungFu Tseng, a research scientist and epidemiologist at Kaiser Permanente in Pasadena, California. “We decided to exam
