At the roundtable discussion on vaccination in adults and prevention of shingles organized by the Vietnam Medical Association in collaboration with GSK Vietnam Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Xuyen, President of the Vietnam Medical Association, said: 1 in 3 adults will have shingles. Notably, more than 90% of adults aged 50 and over with latent varicella virus (VZV) in the nervous system will have a higher risk of getting shingles. Notably, post-herpetic neuralgia can often last more than 3 months. The disease can cause dangerous complications, although very rare, such as blindness (when shingles occurs in the eyes) or hearing loss. Studies have also shown a link between shingles and cardiovascular diseases such as stroke.
Patients with chronic diseases are at increased risk of developing shingles, along with serious complications such as hospitalization and death. The risk of shingles is much higher in patients over 50 years of age with diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure or kidney disease.
"The elderly are more susceptible to shingles than young people due to a weakened immune response and many underlying diseases. Taking many medications also weakens the immune system of the elderly... Shingles is increasingly occurring in people who are often under pressure at work and in life.
Not only that, shingles also reduces the quality of life of the sufferer, and creates an economic burden for the health sector and society," Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Xuyen said.
According to the Department of Preventive Medicine (Ministry of Health), Vietnam currently has about 22 million people aged 18-69 suffering from chronic diseases, mainly non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cancer. This is considered a population group with a higher risk of shingles along with more severe complications.
Prof. Dr. Tran Huu Dang, President of the Vietnam Endocrinology - Diabetes Association, shared that shingles is one of the diseases that can cause long-term and serious effects, especially for people with underlying diseases such as diabetes. Shingles not only causes severe and prolonged pain but is also related to loss of blood sugar control, even causing acute complications such as ketoacidosis, which can affect the prognosis of the disease.
Along with disease prevention measures such as exercise, not smoking, healthy eating or chronic disease screening, vaccination plays an important role in contributing to improving the health of adults.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Xuyen recommends that currently, many infectious diseases can be prevented by vaccines. This is considered a proactive and effective disease prevention measure with a safety assessment record. Early prevention of infectious diseases will contribute to reducing the burden of disease and improving the quality of life, while reducing the burden on the health sector.
Shingles is a common disease that is very painful and can even cause serious and long-term complications. People with shingles often have acute symptoms such as a blister-like rash that causes pain, itching, or a tingling sensation on one side of the body. The disease lasts 2-4 weeks and can often be very painful. The symptoms and complications of shingles can become severe and persistent, especially in the elderly and people with weakened immune systems.
