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Shingles vaccination may lower risk of severe COVID-19, study finds 

By Brian Buntz | January 4, 2022

Vaccine stock art

Image courtesy of Pixabay

A large retrospective study found that a recombinant adjuvanted zoster vaccine was associated with a 32% reduced risk of COVID-19-associated hospitalization. The study, published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, also found that individuals who received at least one dose of the Shingrix vaccine were 16% less likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19 during the trial period. The study authors concluded that the Shingrix vaccine offered a durable reduction in COVID-19 risk. 

The study was conducted by GSK (NYSE:GSK) and Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC). Recruiting individuals at least 50 from 1 March 2020 to 31 December 2020, the study followed 149,244 Shingrix zoster vaccine recipients and 298,488 unvaccinated individuals. 

The study authors concede that the analysis had limitations related to variable health status and adherence to COVID-19 protocols such as mask-wearing, social distancing and other protective measures. 

Other studies support the hypothesis that some vaccines may boost immunity broadly, priming it to battle other pathogens. For instance, in the 1960s and 1970s, researchers in the Soviet Union found that the oral polio vaccine appeared to reduce mortality from the flu, as The New York Times reported.  

Earlier studies have also found that vaccines for flu, measles and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) also seem to ramp up the immune system, improving protection against heterologous infections.

That said, COVID-19 vaccines continue to play a vital role in reducing the risk of severe disease. 


Filed Under: Infectious Disease
Tagged With: covid-19, GSK, Kaiser Permanente, recombinant adjuvanted zoster vaccine, shingles, Shingrix
 

About The Author

Brian Buntz

As the pharma and biotech editor at WTWH Media, Brian has almost two decades of experience in B2B media, with a focus on healthcare and technology. While he has long maintained a keen interest in AI, more recently Brian has made making data analysis a central focus, and is exploring tools ranging from NLP and clustering to predictive analytics.

Throughout his 18-year tenure, Brian has covered an array of life science topics, including clinical trials, medical devices, and drug discovery and development. Prior to WTWH, he held the title of content director at Informa, where he focused on topics such as connected devices, cybersecurity, AI and Industry 4.0. A dedicated decade at UBM saw Brian providing in-depth coverage of the medical device sector. Engage with Brian on LinkedIn or drop him an email at bbuntz@wtwhmedia.com.

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