Proceedings of the expert consensus group meeting on herpes zoster disease burden and prevention in India: An opinion paper

Abstract

Herpes zoster (HZ) is a debilitating viral infection causing a dermatomal vesicular rash. Many known risk factors exist in India and adults >50 years of age may be especially susceptible to HZ. However, HZ is not a notifiable disease in India and data on incidence and disease burden is lacking. An Expert Consensus Group meeting was conducted with experts from relevant specialties to discuss HZ disease, its local epidemiology, and suggestions for implementing HZ vaccination in the Indian healthcare system. Currently, there is lack of patient awareness, poor reporting practices and general negligence in the treatment of the disease. HZ patients generally approach their general physicians or specialists for diagnosis, which is usually based on patient history and clinical symptoms. Recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) has >90% efficacy and is recommended in adults ≥50 years of age to prevent HZ in the United States. Despite RZV being approved for use, it is not yet available in India. India has a growing elderly population with known risk factors for HZ like immunosuppression, and co-morbidities like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This indicates the need for a targeted immunization program in India. Meeting also emphasized adult vaccine availability and accessibility in the country.

COVID-19 and herpes zoster: a call to action

“…Recently, an expert group in India agreed that all at-risk patients >50 years of age with preexisting health conditions such as COPD, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic renal disease, and SLE should be vaccinated against HZ. Moreover, they also suggested formulating immunization guidelines for younger adults at risk due to an immunocompromised condition such as rheumatic disease, HIV, and other auto-immune diseases ( 29 ).…”