Shingles News and Research

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Shingles (herpes zoster) is an outbreak of rash or blisters on the skin that is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox — the varicella-zoster virus. The first sign of shingles is often burning or tingling pain, or sometimes numbness or itch, in one particular location on only one side of the body.

Report maps vaccination's comprehensive benefits for health and economy

A new Gerontological Society of America report, "Concentric Value of Vaccination: Intersecting Health, Economic, and Societal Benefits," provides evidence on the advantages of immunization for individual and population health, economic outcomes, and societal well-being.

22 Oct 2025

Botulinum toxin injections could be a powerful tool for treating post-amputation pain

Botulinum toxin injections provided greater short-term relief for phantom limb pain than standard medical and surgical care among Ukrainian war amputees, reports a new study led by Northwestern Medicine and Ukrainian physicians.

21 Oct 2025

Discovery reveals hidden differences in herpes virus cultures

Matthew Taylor likened his recently published work alongside doctoral student Gary Dunn to kicking over a rock. Once the discovery was made, it was time to see what lay beneath.

3 Oct 2025

ISSCR expresses concern over NIH decision on fetal tissue research funding

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), the largest professional organization of stem cell researchers from around the world, is concerned about a recent statement attributed to NIH that the agency will not renew research grants involving human fetal tissue (HFT), and that research with HFT is not conducted responsibly or transparently.

13 Sep 2025

Herpes zoster vaccination linked to lower risk of heart attack and stroke

A new global systematic literature review and meta-analysis has shown that herpes zoster vaccination, used to prevent shingles, is associated with a statistically significant lower risk of heart attack and stroke.

29 Aug 2025

Yale scientists boost mRNA vaccine power with new technology

Messenger RNA, or mRNA, vaccines entered the public consciousness when they were introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna used the technology in developing their highly effective vaccines to fight the virus.

27 Aug 2025

New guidelines highlight importance of vaccination for heart patients

The American College of Cardiology has issued Concise Clinical Guidance (CCG) recommending vaccines to protect adults with heart disease against respiratory illness, including influenza, COVID-19 and RSV, and other diseases where vaccination is shown to offer cardiovascular protective benefits.

26 Aug 2025

Expanded vaccine screening in emergency departments could benefit underserved populations

About 49% of people are unaware of one or more vaccines recommended for them. Further, 86% have not received one or more of these vaccines.

7 Aug 2025

Shingles and RSV vaccines with AS01 adjuvant reduce dementia risk

Researchers found that older adults who received AS01-adjuvanted shingles or RSV vaccines had a significantly lower risk of developing dementia within 18 months compared to flu vaccine recipients. The protective effect is likely linked to the AS01 adjuvant itself, highlighting new avenues for dementia prevention.

30 Jun 2025

Many older people embrace vaccines. Research is proving them right.

Kim Beckham, an insurance agent in Victoria, Texas, had seen friends suffer so badly from shingles that she wanted to receive the first approved shingles vaccine as soon as it became available, even if she had to pay for it out-of-pocket.

23 Jun 2025

New dual-adjuvant vaccine strategy offers hope in the fight against HIV

In the quest to develop an effective HIV vaccine, scientists from Scripps Research have made a significant leap forward. They found that a two-part delivery strategy can train the immune system to produce a stronger response to HIV, offering new hope in the fight against one of the world's most elusive viruses.

19 Jun 2025

Recombinant zoster vaccine well tolerated by patients with inflammatory RMD

Herpes zoster (HZ) is common in older people, with a lifetime risk of 25%. The main risk factors are advanced age and immunosuppression. People with a rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease have an overall higher risk for shingles.

11 Jun 2025

Shingles vaccine linked to lower risk of heart disease

People who are given a vaccine for shingles have a 23% lower risk of cardiovascular events, including stroke, heart failure, and coronary heart disease, according to a study of more than a million people published in the European Heart Journal today (Tuesday).

5 May 2025

Shingles vaccine eligibility lowers dementia risk in older adults

A large quasi-experimental study in Australia found that adults eligible for free shingles vaccination based on their date of birth were significantly less likely to be diagnosed with dementia over a 7.4-year period. The findings reinforce previous results from Wales and suggest a potential preventive role for HZ vaccination.

24 Apr 2025

Shingles vaccination associated with reduction in probability of new dementia diagnosis

Vaccination to prevent shingles also reduces the risk of developing dementia in later life, according to a research paper published recently in Nature.

8 Apr 2025

Shingles vaccine cuts dementia risk by 20%, new study shows

A large natural experiment shows that the herpes zoster vaccine reduces dementia diagnoses by 20% over seven years. The findings suggest both viral suppression and immune training may play roles in brain health.

3 Apr 2025

UZH researchers develop decoy molecules to restore immune defense

An immune system defect makes affected individuals vulnerable to severe viral diseases such as influenza or COVID-19. It is caused by the body's own antibodies, which inhibit important defense proteins known as type I interferons.

24 Mar 2025

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Federal health work in flux

Two months into the new administration, federal workers and contractors remain off-balance as the Trump administration ramps up its efforts to cancel jobs and programs — even as federal judges declare many of those efforts illegal and/or unconstitutional.

20 Mar 2025

Study highlights increase in VZV-induced CNS infections and dementia risk

Researchers from Fujita Health University, Japan, observed a rise in adult central nervous system (CNS) infections, primarily aseptic meningitis caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV), post-2019. The researchers highlighted the potential of zoster vaccination to reduce CNS infections.

27 Feb 2025

Macrophages use bacteria to build vital nutrients and control inflammation

Immune cells that eat bacteria in the body don't stash them in specialized compartments as once thought, but turn them into critical nutrients that build proteins, create energy and keep the cells alive, according to a new study from scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

27 Feb 2025