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.

Why Black and Hispanic seniors are left with a less powerful flu vaccine

At Whitman-Walker Health, Dr. David Fessler and his staff administer high-dose influenza vaccine to all HIV-positive and senior patients.

6 Apr 2022

SARS-CoV-2 virus may have lingering effects on peripheral nerves

Adding to a growing body of evidence that, for many, problems related to COVID-19 linger longer than the initial infection, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that some people infected during the pandemic's early months experienced peripheral neuropathy - pain, tingling and numbness in the hands and feet - during and following their bouts with the virus.

25 Mar 2022

New nanoparticle-based COVID-19 vaccine platform could target other infectious diseases

Just one dose of a new nanoparticle-based COVID-19 vaccine was enough to produce an immune response in animals on track with vaccines currently in clinical use.

23 Mar 2022

Recombinant adjuvanted zoster vaccination associated with lower risk of COVID-19 diagnosis and hospitalization

A new study suggests that RZV may elicit durable innate immune responses in the elderly conferring heterologous protection against COVID-19. .

30 Dec 2021

Dreaded microbe can silence multiple types of pain, study suggests

Anthrax has a scary reputation. Widely known to cause serious lung infections in humans and unsightly, albeit painless, skin lesions in livestock and people, the anthrax bacterium has even been used as a weapon of terror.

20 Dec 2021

Internal tremors and vibrations symptoms among people with long-COVID

In a recent study, researchers aimed to identify a potentially important cluster of similar patient-reported symptoms from PASC-affected individuals.

8 Dec 2021

'Combination' adjuvant may boost the protective power of vaccines

Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have found a possible way to improve the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines-;and any vaccine.

4 Dec 2021

New nanoparticle adjuvant could help make vaccines more powerful

A common strategy to make vaccines more powerful is to deliver them along with an adjuvant -; a compound that stimulates the immune system to produce a stronger response.

3 Dec 2021

What do we really know about vaccine effectiveness?

The politicization of covid vaccines — and, well, just about everything else having to do with the pandemic — has led to confusion, if not utter fatigue.

2 Nov 2021

Study suggests shingles vaccine reduces the risk for COVID-19

People who get the shingles vaccine may have a lower risk of being diagnosed and hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), according to a new medRxiv* preprint study. In about 150,000 people over the age of 50, vaccination for shingles was associated with a 32% reduced risk of severe COVID-19 infection.

5 Oct 2021

Epigenomic analysis reveals biological signatures specific to each pain category

Many people are confronted with chronic pain that can last for months or even years. How to best treat chronic pain? First, pain must be categorized for the right treatment to be prescribed.

30 Sep 2021

Research highlights inequalities in England's COVID vaccine coverage

Researchers led by the epidemiologist Elise Tessier, of Public Health England, have been investigating the proportion of unvaccinated individuals against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by age, sex, location, vaccine type, ethnicity and poverty level in the United Kingdom.

8 Sep 2021

‘Wisdom and fear’ lead 90% of U.S. seniors to covid vaccines

Amid the latest surge in covid-19 cases and hospitalizations, the United States on Tuesday hit a milestone that some thought was unattainable: 90% of people 65 and older are at least partly vaccinated against the disease.

4 Aug 2021

Doctors tell how to make the most of your telehealth visits

When the pandemic sidelined in-office visits at his practice, Dr. Dael Waxman "wasn't exactly thrilled with being at home." But he quickly shifted gears to video and telephone appointments.

2 Jun 2021

Study shows more evidence that vaccines are safe for children, adults

A new study looking across a large body of research finds further evidence for the safety of vaccines that are Food and Drug Administration-approved and routinely recommended for children, adults and pregnant women.

27 May 2021

Despite all the talk, Covid vaccination does not infect people with shingles

Posts are showing up all over social media tying Covid-19 vaccinations to shingles and other painful skin disorders.

30 Apr 2021

GW team to play a role in Sanofi COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial

The George Washington University announced today its participation in a Sanofi COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial. GW was selected as one of approximately 25 sites in the United States to launch a phase 2 study for its adjuvanted recombinant protein-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

24 Feb 2021

Study: Nalfurafine drug can help treat spinal morphine-induced itch in pregnant women

For years, many pregnant women and surgery patients have suffered from chronic itching when they get spinal or epidural morphine to reduce pain.

4 Feb 2021

Research explores the cost-effectiveness of Sweden's national vaccination programs

Immunizing children against chickenpox would save money, but offering shingles vaccinations to all 65-year-olds would not. These are examples of findings in a University of Gothenburg thesis exploring the cost-effectiveness of Sweden's national vaccination programs.

23 Dec 2020

Smartphone-based adherence program can optimize uptake of COVID-19 vaccine

The light at the end of the pandemic tunnel is getting brighter. This week, the first health care workers will receive the first doses of an FDA-approved coronavirus vaccine. Soon, so will other front-line workers in health care and beyond, and residents of long-term care facilities.

15 Dec 2020