Two Doses of Zoster Vaccine Reduce Risk for Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus

TUESDAY, Aug. 19, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Two doses of recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) are associated with a reduced risk for herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO), acute myocardial infarction, and stroke among adults aged 50 years or older, according to a study published online Aug. 9 in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Emily Rayens, Ph.D., M.P.H., from Kaiser Permanente Southern California in Pasadena, and colleagues conducted a matched cohort analysis of adults aged 50 years and older who received two doses of RZV four weeks to six months apart during April 1, 2018, to Dec. 31, 2020, and were matched in a 1:4 ratio with RZV-unvaccinated individuals. Data were included for 102,766 two-dose RZV-vaccinated adults and 411,064 unvaccinated adults.

The researchers found that when comparing RZV-vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, the adjusted hazard ratios of HZO, hospitalized acute myocardial infraction, and hospitalized stroke were 0.271, 0.720, and 0.575, respectively. Against HZO, the adjusted RZV effectiveness was 72.9 percent.

“These data suggest that health benefits of RZV immunization may extend beyond the well-described prevention of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia,” the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to biopharmaceutical companies, including GSK, which funded the study.

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