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By & nbsp; Stephenie Overman, Next Avenue Donor
You probably know that there is a measles epidemic. And you may have heard of the shortage of the most effective vaccine against shingles, a cousin of chickenpox, a childhood disease.
Did you know that both viruses are very bad news for older Americans?
"What's true for both diseases is that they are more severe with age," says Dr. Gregory Poland, director of the Mayo Clinic's vaccine research group in Rochester, Minnesota.
"We are thinking back to childhood and most children are well off. But from age 50, people start to have complications. We have no treatment. The only recourse is prevention, "says Poland.
Also on Forbes:
Measles cases increase
As of May 13, the number of measles cases total of 839 in 23 states, reported the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is the largest number of cases that the United States has known since 1994.
Measles is an infectious viral disease usually badociated with fever and a red rash. But that can be much worse. Some people suffer from serious complications, such as pneumonia or encephalitis (swelling of the brain).
Complications of shingles
Shingles (herpes zoster) is an epidemic of rash or blisters on the skin caused by the varicella zoster virus, which causes chickenpox.
According to the CDC, the most common complication of shingles is post-herpetic neuralgia (NPH), an intense pain in areas where shingles eruption originally occurred.
About 10% to 13% of people with shingles will have an ISP; older people are more likely to have NSP and have more intense and lasting pain.
Shingles can also lead to serious complications leading to vision loss. A new study by the University of Michigan's Kellogg Eye Center found that among a group of 21 million adults, zoster ophthalmicus, when shingles come in contact with the eyes, tripled in 12 years .
"You can stay blind," says Dr. Thomas Steinemann, ophthalmologist in Cleveland and clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. "Most cases are not blinding, fortunately. But it can kill nerve endings and cause ulcers to the eye and intense inflammation inside the eye. It can cause glaucoma and can damage the back of your eye – the retina and the optic nerve. "
If you feel tingling, pain, burning and develop a rash on your scalp, forehead, eyelids or the tip of your nose, this is a warning sign, says Steinemann. "It is very likely that you would have it in your eyes. Nerve endings are the nerves that connect to the eye. He follows as a road map. "
If you have any warning signs, see a doctor immediately and have the rash evaluated to determine if it is shingles. If that's the case, you should start an antiviral drug immediately, says Steinemann.
Rarely, shingles can lead to pneumonia, hearing problems, encephalitis or death.
Avoid measles
The National Infectious Disease Foundation (NFID) recommends that "adults born in 1957 or later who do not have a medical contraindication receive at least one dose of the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine, unless have documents certifying that they have been vaccinated against the disease. at least one dose of vaccine containing the measles virus or any other acceptable evidence of immunity to the disease. "
Students, health care workers and international travelers are at increased risk of measles and should receive two doses of MMR vaccine to provide adequate protection, according to the NFID.
"If you do not know that you're immune, you can have your antibody levels checked. If you are not immune, you may need a reminder, "said Dr. Christopher Labos, a partner at the McGill Office for Science and Society in Montreal.
Or, if you are not sure, you could simply get vaccinated again, according to Labos and Poland.
According to the CDC, all health insurance schemes offered through the federal health insurance market, as well as most private insurance schemes, must cover measles vaccines. Medicare Part D plans cover measles immunization.
Vaccines against shingles
If you have had chickenpox, you are at risk for shingles. The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends that adults 50 years of age and older who have had chickenpox receive two doses of Shingrix Herpes Zoster vaccine (recombinant shingles vaccine) at intervals of two to six months. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the maker of Shingrix, made it available in November 2017.
But getting the new vaccine can be tricky. The CDC website indicates that because of the high demand for Shingrix, GSK limits orders and health care providers have experienced shipping delays. This should continue throughout this year.
There is also Zostavax, a less effective vaccine introduced in 2006. But the CDC recommends that anyone who has ever had Zostavax also receive Shingrix and claims that Zostavax can not be used as a replacement for a second dose of Shingrix.
According to Sean Clements, the US head of vaccine communication at the company, GSK currently markets significant volumes twice a month on the market.
Clements notes that the company has just invested $ 100 million at its manufacturing facility in Hamilton, Montana, to increase Shingrix's key component production capacity. An existing facility in France was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in January to produce Shingrix. GSK has also created a vaccine locator.
According to GSK, Shingrix is covered for more than 95% of US members with medical benefits and 100% of Medicare Part D members, in accordance with Part D of Medicare.
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By Stephenie Overman, Next Avenue Collaborator
You probably know that there is a measles epidemic. And you may have heard of the shortage of the most effective vaccine against shingles, a cousin of chickenpox, a childhood disease.
Did you know that both viruses are very bad news for older Americans?
"What's true for both diseases is that they are more severe with age," says Dr. Gregory Poland, director of the Mayo Clinic's vaccine research group in Rochester, Minnesota.
"We are thinking back to childhood and most children are well off. But from age 50, people start to have complications. We have no treatment. The only recourse is prevention, "says Poland.
Also on Forbes:
Measles cases increase
By May 13, the number of measles cases had risen to 839 in 23 states, reported the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is the largest number of cases that the United States has known since 1994.
Measles is an infectious viral disease usually badociated with fever and a red rash. But that can be much worse. Some people suffer from serious complications, such as pneumonia or encephalitis (swelling of the brain).
Complications of shingles
Shingles (herpes zoster) is an epidemic of rash or blisters on the skin caused by the varicella zoster virus, which causes chickenpox.
According to the CDC, the most common complication of shingles is post-herpetic neuralgia (NPH), an intense pain in areas where shingles eruption originally occurred.
About 10% to 13% of people with shingles will have an ISP; older people are more likely to have NSP and have more intense and lasting pain.
Shingles can also lead to serious complications leading to vision loss. A new study by the University of Michigan's Kellogg Eye Center found that among a group of 21 million adults, zoster ophthalmicus, when shingles come in contact with the eyes, tripled in 12 years .
"You can stay blind," says Dr. Thomas Steinemann, ophthalmologist in Cleveland and clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. "Most cases are not blinding, fortunately. But it can kill nerve endings and cause ulcers to the eye and intense inflammation inside the eye. It can cause glaucoma and can damage the back of your eye – the retina and the optic nerve. "
If you feel tingling, pain, burning and develop a rash on your scalp, forehead, eyelids or the tip of your nose, this is a warning sign, says Steinemann. "It is very likely that you would have it in your eyes. Nerve endings are the nerves that connect to the eye. He follows as a road map. "
If you have any warning signs, see a doctor immediately and have the rash evaluated to determine if it is shingles. If that's the case, you should start an antiviral drug immediately, says Steinemann.
Rarely, shingles can lead to pneumonia, hearing problems, encephalitis or death.
Avoid measles
The National Infectious Disease Foundation (NFID) recommends that "adults born in 1957 or later who do not have a medical contraindication receive at least one dose of the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine, unless have documents certifying that they have been vaccinated against the disease. at least one dose of vaccine containing the measles virus or any other acceptable evidence of immunity to the disease. "
Students, health care workers and international travelers are at increased risk of measles and should receive two doses of MMR vaccine to provide adequate protection, according to the NFID.
"If you do not know that you're immune, you can have your antibody levels checked. If you are not immune, you may need a reminder, "said Dr. Christopher Labos, a partner at the McGill Office for Science and Society in Montreal.
Or, if you are not sure, you could simply get vaccinated again, according to Labos and Poland.
According to the CDC, all health insurance schemes offered through the federal health insurance market, as well as most private insurance schemes, must cover measles vaccines. Medicare Part D plans cover measles immunization.
Vaccines against shingles
If you have had chickenpox, you are at risk for shingles. The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends that adults 50 years of age and older who have had chickenpox receive two doses of Shingrix Herpes Zoster vaccine (recombinant shingles vaccine) at intervals of two to six months. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the maker of Shingrix, made it available in November 2017.
But getting the new vaccine can be tricky. The CDC website says that because of strong demand for Shingrix, GSK is limiting orders and health care providers have experienced shipping delays. This should continue throughout this year.
There is also Zostavax, a less effective vaccine introduced in 2006. But the CDC recommends that anyone who has ever had Zostavax also receive Shingrix and claims that Zostavax can not be used as a replacement for a second dose of Shingrix.
According to Sean Clements, the US head of vaccine communication at the company, GSK currently markets significant volumes twice a month on the market.
Clements notes that the company has just invested $ 100 million at its manufacturing facility in Hamilton, Montana, to increase Shingrix's key component production capacity. An existing facility in France was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in January to produce Shingrix. GSK has also created a vaccine locator.
According to GSK, Shingrix is covered for more than 95% of US members with medical benefits and 100% of Medicare Part D members, in accordance with Part D of Medicare.
