Authors
Michael N Oxman, Myron J Levin, GR Johnson, KE Schmader, SE Straus, LD Gelb, RD Arbeit, MS Simberkoff, AA Gershon, LE Davis, A Weinberg, KD Boardman, HM Williams, J Hongyuan Zhang, PN Peduzzi, CE Beisel, VA Morrison, JC Guatelli, PA Brooks, CA Kauffman, CT Pachucki, KM Neuzil, RF Betts, PF Wright, MR Griffin, P Brunell, NE Soto, AR Marques, SK Keay, RP Goodman, DJ Cotton, JW Gnann Jr, J Loutit, M Holodniy, WA Keitel, GE Crawford, S-S Yeh, Z Lobo, JF Toney, RN Greenberg, PM Keller, R Harbecke, AR Hayward, MR Irwin, TC Kyriakides, CY Chan, ISF Chan, WWB Wang, PW Annunziato, JL Silber
Publication date
2005/6/2
Journal
New England Journal of Medicine
Volume
352
Issue
22
Pages
2271-2284
Publisher
Massachusetts Medical Society
Description
Background
The incidence and severity of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia increase with age in association with a progressive decline in cell-mediated immunity to varicella–zoster virus (VZV). We tested the hypothesis that vaccination against VZV would decrease the incidence, severity, or both of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia among older adults.
Methods
We enrolled 38,546 adults 60 years of age or older in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of an investigational live attenuated Oka/Merck VZV vaccine (“zoster vaccine”). Herpes zoster was diagnosed according to clinical and laboratory criteria. The pain and discomfort associated with herpes zoster were measured repeatedly for six months. The primary end point was the burden of illness due to herpes zoster, a measure affected by the incidence, severity, and duration of the associated pain and discomfort. The secondary …
Total citations
Scholar articles
MN Oxman, MJ Levin, GR Johnson, KE Schmader… - New England Journal of Medicine, 2005