Simultaneous vaccines for herpes zoster, also known as shingles, and pneumococcal are safe according to researchers from Kaiser Permanente, despite recent concerns by the Food and Drug Administration.
The study was published in the journal Vaccine, and contradicts the FDA’s encouragement to receive the two vaccines separately. The FDA had asked the herpes zoster vaccine manufacturer to include in the package insert instructions to receive the two vaccines in separate doctor visits and that the contrary would result in the zoster vaccines inability to generate an immune response.
Kaiser researchers reported that receiving the two vaccines together was not only more convenient and cheaper for the patient, but was safe as well.
Dr. Hung Fu Tseng said, “Our study found no evidence that receiving the zoster vaccine and pneumococcal vaccine on the same day would compromise the immune response necessary to protect against herpes zoster, also known as shingles,” in Medical News Today.
The study involved more than 14,000 people aged 60 plus in two groups from January, 2007, to June, 2010. One group received the two vaccines simultaneously while the second group received them at different times.
Fifty six cases of herpes zoster were reported in the group who received the vaccines together, while 58 cases were reported in the group who received the vaccines separately. There was no statistical significance between the two groups.
