Source: TOI
Context: GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Pharma has announced the launch of the Shingrix vaccine in India for the prevention of shingles (herpes zoster) and post-herpetic neuralgia in adults aged 50 years and above.
| Vaccine | Shingrix ( for prevention of shingles) | |
| About shingles | Shingle is a viral infection that causes a painful rash. It can occur anywhere in your body. Shingles are caused by the varicella-zoster virus — the same virus that causes chickenpox | |
| Purpose | To prevent shingles and post-herpetic neuralgia in adults aged 50 years or more | |
| Virus Target | Varicella zoster virus (VZV) | |
| Type | It is the world’s first non-live, recombinant subunit vaccine to be given intramuscularly in two doses. | |
| Approved By | US Food and Drug Administration and the European Commission | |
| Risk Groups | Individuals with weakened immunity due to diabetes, heart disease, kidney diseases, etc. | |
| What is a “non-live, recombinant subunit vaccine”? | It is a type of vaccine that is made by taking a small piece of the germ (and not the whole germ) that causes a disease and using it to stimulate the body’s immune system to produce a response. | |
