Shingles Vaccination Among Adults Aged 60 and Over: United States, 2018.

Abstract

Shingles is a painful rash caused by the varicella zoster virus (1). Persons of all ages are at risk for shingles. However, this risk and the risk of complications increase with age (1,2). Vaccines have been developed to prevent shingles, and beginning in 2017, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended that all adults aged 50 and over be vaccinated (3). Prior to this change, ACIP had recommended that only adults aged 60 and over receive a shingles vaccine (3). This report describes trends in shingles vaccination as well as variation by demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic characteristics among adults aged 60 and over.

Topics & Concepts