Varicella Vaccine
Varicella Vaccine Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Food Interaction and all others data.
Live attenuated zoster vaccine is available as two products: Zostavax for the prevention of shingles in immunocompetent people over the age of 50, and Varivax for the prevention of chickenpox in individuals 12 months of age and older. While the two vaccines contain the same immunological components and provide protection against the same virus, Zostavax contains a higher dose and is used in older adults to prevent the development of shingles and post-herpetic neuralgia.
First approved in May 2006 by the Food and Drug Administration, Zostavax was the first vaccine available for the prevention of shingles. Since October 2017, however, it has been replaced as first line therapy by Shingrix (Varicella zoster vaccine (recombinant)), a more effective and longer lasting vaccine. Both Varivax and Zostavax are composed of a lyophilized preparation of live, attenuated Oka/Merck strain of varicella-zoster virus.
Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) is the virus that commonly causes Chickenpox (also known as Varicella) in childhood . Following initial infection of VZV and resolution of Chickenpox as a child, VZV then lies dormant within the dorsal root ganglion of the central nervous sytem. Decades later, when the body's immune system weakens with age, VZV is able to reactivate and descend through the nerve cells to the surface of the skin where it causes a painful blistering rash, known as shingles (or Herpes Zoster). Risk factors for developing shingles include old age, with rates increasing substantially in person's over the age of 50, low immune function or immunosuppression, psychological stress, and diabetes. Person's living with HIV or cancer, those taking immunosuppressants, and transplant recipients are particularly at risk .
| Trade Name | Varicella Vaccine |
| Generic | Varicella zoster vaccine (live/attenuated) |
| Varicella zoster vaccine (live/attenuated) Other Names | Chickenpox vaccine, Human herpesvirus 3 live (attenuated) antigen, Varicella vaccine, Varicella virus vaccine live (oka-merck) strain, Varicella zoster live (attenuated) antigen, Varicella zoster live(attenuated) antigen, Varicella-zoster virus (live, attenuated), Varicella-zoster virus strain oka/merck live (attenuated) antigen, Varicella-zoster virus strain oka/merck live antigen |
| Type | |
| Groups | Approved |
| Therapeutic Class | |
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| Last Updated: | September 19, 2023 at 7:00 am |
Uses
Zostavax vaccine is indicated for the prevention of herpes zoster (shingles) in immunocompetent adults aged 50 years and older.
Varivax vaccine is indicated for active immunization for the prevention of varicella in individuals 12 months of age and older.
Varicella Vaccine is also used to associated treatment for these conditions: Chickenpox, Herpes Zoster, Rubeola, Varicella-Zoster Virus
How Varicella Vaccine works
Zostavax provides protection against Herpes Zoster reactivation by eliciting an immune response to Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV).
Varivax provides protection against chickenpox by eliciting both cell-mediated and humoral immune responses to varicella-zoster virus.
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