The reduction in quality of life associated with shingles (herpes zoster): an analysis of individual patient data from multiple international studies

Shingles is caused by the herpes zoster virus (HZ), the same virus that causes chickenpox and is a common disease in older people.. Shingles causes a rash on the skin that is itchy and very painful. The pain usually goes away after a few weeks, but it can last for several months or even a few years. Shingles can also cause other long-lasting problems. This includes eye problems that can lead to blindness, stroke, or serious infections.

Antiviral drugs or pain medications can help with shingles. There is also a vaccine available (Shingrix) that can prevent shingles. Many countries still need to decide whether to use this vaccine. There are also two vaccines (Zostavax and Shingrix) that can prevent shingles. Shingrix is fairly new, and many countries still need to decide whether to switch to this newer vaccine, or whether to start using it if they don’t already use Zostavax.

Countries need to know whether their health policies represent good value for money. Many countries use cost-effectiveness analysis to compare the costs and benefits of different interventions, including vaccines. This means that countries need to look at evidence for how well a vaccine preserves both the length and quality of life (QoL) for people who take the vaccine.

There are surveys used to measure how much a disease affects someone’s health-related quality of life. Most countries in Europe recommend using a specific survey (the EQ-5D - EuroQoL-5 dimensions) that asks about five areas of health: mobility, self-care, daily activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression.

Previous studies have used the EQ-5D to measure how shingles affected people’s quality of life. The aim of this study is to combine the results from all of these different studies. This will give a more complete picture of how shingles affects quality of life. This will help countries to make the most effective policies on preventing and treating shingles cases.