Following on the last article about vaccines I thought it a good opportunity to discuss another vaccine which I think is very important.
This is called Varilrix. The vaccine is mainly meant for more senior people, as a prophylaxis against the re-occurrence of chickenpox. This disease is known as Herpes Zoster or Shingles. It is a live attenuated vaccine.
Just before you put this article down because it’s boring, let me tell you about what it’s like to get shingles in your 60s.
It is F@#%$ ing awful and is without doubt, one of the worst illnesses that I have encountered in my life. The pain is unbearable and you cannot find a comfortable position, no matter what you do.
I always used to say to people that this vaccine is a profit-making racket but I have learnt the hard way that I was wrong.
This disease is usually activated by a drop in your immunity allowing dormant herpes virus hominis (HV H) viruses to activate and multiply. They can live up to 30 to 50 years in the anterior horn cells of your spine. Their activation due to your loss of overpowering immunity is a clear sign that something is wrong with your health and that you need a full assessment.
As of now, I will be actively encouraging all people over 50 years of age to get a Varilrix vaccine. This is a once off and may have to be repeated in your 80s but there’s no data for that as yet.
The only strange thing about this is that the vaccine, which is made by Glaxo has been withdrawn from use in the USA as of 20 December 2020 and is being replaced by the Shingrix vaccine which is also made by Glaxo.
I will sort out this conundrum prior to beginning regular immunisation.