Review of the initial post-marketing safety surveillance for the recombinant zoster vaccine

Post-marketing surveillance of 10,392 herpes zoster vaccines doses in Australia

BACKGROUND

Immunisation against herpes zoster is recommended for adults aged ≥ 50 years. Two vaccines, a live attenuated (ZVL, Zostavax®) and an adjuvant recombinant subunit (HZ/su, Shingrix®), are available in Australia. Immunisation guidelines are shifting their recommendations towards HZ/su because of higher efficacy in preventing herpes zoster and associated complications. However, there are limited post-marketing data comparing the safety profiles of these vaccines.

METHODS

Data from SmartVax, an active surveillance system for monitoring adverse events following immunisation (AEFIs) utilised by > 450 clinics throughout Australia, were analysed. Data from patients aged ≥ 50 years, who received ZVL or HZ/su, from 1 June 2021 to 31 May 2022, at clinics that utilised SmartVax were included. The proportion of records where patients who reported any, local, and systemic AEFIs after receiving ZVL or HZ/su were compared using multivariable logistic regression models.

RESULTS

Data from 10,392 immunisation records (n = 8341 ZVL; n = 2051 HZ/su) were included. The proportion of AEFIs reported was higher with HZ/su (41.9 % [any], 33.8 % [local], 25.2 % [systemic]) than with ZVL (8.7 % [any], 6.2 % [local], 3.5 % [systemic]). After controlling for demographic variables, HZ/su presented a 6-fold increase in the odds (OR 6.44; 95 %CI: 5.57-7.46) of a reported AEFI compared to ZVL. Only 59 (0.6 %) of vaccinations lead to medical attention being sought due to an AEFI.

CONCLUSIONS

While rates of AEFIs was higher with HZ/su than ZVL, most AEFIs were mild and did not require medical attention. Our findings support the change in vaccine recommendations and the use of HZ/su in immunisation programs.

A Model for Monitoring Spontaneously Reported Medication Errors Using the Adjuvanted Recombinant Zoster Vaccine as an Example

A European legislation was put in place for the reporting of medication errors, and guidelines were drafted to help stakeholders in the reporting, evaluation, and, ultimately, minimization of these errors. As part of pharmacovigilance reporting, a proper classification of medication errors is needed. However, this process can be tedious, time-consuming, and resource-intensive. To fulfill this obligation regarding medication errors, we developed an algorithm that classifies the reported errors in an automated way into four categories: potential medication errors, intercepted medication errors, medication errors without harm (i.e., not associated with adverse reaction(s)), and medication errors with harm (i.e., associated with adverse reaction(s)). A fifth category ("conflicting category") was created for reported cases that could not be unambiguously classified as either potential or intercepted medication errors. Our algorithm defines medication error categories based on internationally accepted terminology using the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA®) preferred terms. We present the algorithm and the strengths of this automated way of reporting medication errors. We also give examples of visualizations using spontaneously reported vaccination error data associated with the adjuvanted recombinant zoster vaccine. For this purpose, we used a customized web-based platform that uses visualizations to support safety signal detection. The use of the algorithm facilitates and ensures a consistent way of categorizing medication errors with MedDRA® terms, thereby saving time and resources and avoiding the risk of potential mistakes versus manual classification. This allows further assessment and potential prevention of medication errors. In addition, the algorithm is easy to implement and can be used to categorize medication errors from different databases.

Adjuvant system AS01: from mode of action to effective vaccines

INTRODUCTION

The use of novel adjuvants in human vaccines continues to expand as their contribution to preventing disease in challenging populations and caused by complex pathogens is increasingly understood. AS01 is a family of liposome-based vaccine Adjuvant Systems containing two immunostimulants: 3-O-desacyl-4'-monophosphoryl lipid A and the saponin QS-21. AS01-containing vaccines have been approved and administered to millions of individuals worldwide.

AREAS COVERED

Here, we report advances in our understanding of the mode of action of AS01 that contributed to the development of efficacious vaccines preventing disease due to malaria, herpes zoster, and respiratory syncytial virus. AS01 induces early innate immune activation that induces T cell-mediated and antibody-mediated responses with optimized functional characteristics and induction of immune memory. AS01-containing vaccines appear relatively impervious to baseline immune status translating into high efficacy across populations. Currently licensed AS01-containing vaccines have shown acceptable safety profiles in clinical trials and post-marketing settings.

EXPERT OPINION

Initial expectations that adjuvantation with AS01 could support effective vaccine responses and contribute to disease control have been realized. Investigation of the utility of AS01 in vaccines to prevent other challenging diseases, such as tuberculosis, is ongoing, together with efforts to fully define its mechanisms of action in different vaccine settings.

Recombinant zoster vaccine in immunocompetent and immunocompromised adults: A review of clinical studies

Herpes zoster (HZ) is a debilitating vaccine-preventable disease. Impairment of cell-mediated immunity, as observed with aging and immunosuppressive disorders and therapies, increases risk. Recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) is efficacious against HZ in adults aged ≥50 years in different settings, and in immunocompromised adults aged ≥18 years who are at increased risk of developing HZ. RZV is the first and only HZ vaccine approved for use in immunocompromised adults globally, including in Europe and the US. RZV has a clinically acceptable safety profile and elicits robust immune responses in adults aged ≥50 years, and in immunocompromised adults aged ≥18 years who are at increased risk of HZ. Additionally, RZV is efficacious against HZ complications such as post-herpetic neuralgia and HZ-related pain. This review updates knowledge from a randomized controlled trial setting on the efficacy, safety, immunogenicity, and impact on quality of life of RZV.

Effectiveness and safety of recombinant zoster vaccine: A review of real-world evidence

The recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) was licensed in the US for prevention of herpes zoster (HZ) in 2017. We conducted a literature search (January 1, 2017-August 1, 2023) using PubMed, Embase, and Scopus to consolidate the real-world evidence related to RZV. Overall, RZV effectiveness against HZ was high across the studied populations in real-world settings, including adults aged ≥ 50 years and patients aged ≥ 18 years with immunodeficiency or immunosuppression. Effectiveness was higher with two doses versus one dose, especially in elderly people and immunocompromised individuals. The safety profile of RZV was broadly consistent with that established in clinical trials. RZV does not appear to increase the risk of disease flares in patients with immune-mediated diseases. Approximately two-thirds of individuals received a second RZV dose within 2-6 months after the first dose. Collectively, RZV effectiveness against HZ was high, and these real-world studies reaffirm its favorable benefit-risk profile.

Efficacy and safety of the recombinant zoster vaccine: A systematic review and meta-analysis

In this systematic review with meta-analysis, the efficacy, effectiveness, and safety of the new GSK recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) were assessed.Twenty three publications reporting on 14 studies were selected, including 2 pivotal RCTs in older immunocompetent adults (ZOE-50 and ZOE-70), 4 RCTs on immunocompromised patients (haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), haematological malignancies, solid tumour, and renal transplantation), and 8 observational studies. Vaccine efficacy of RZV against herpes zoster (HZ) and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) was very high in immunocompetent older adults (respectively 94% and 91.2% in adults ≥50 years and 91.3% and 88.8% in adults ≥70 years). However, the number needed to vaccinate (NNV) was relatively high (between 32 and 36 for HZ and between 261 and 335 for PHN). Slow waning of the vaccine efficacy has been described after a median follow-up of 10 years after vaccination. In patients after HSCT, vaccine efficacy of RZV against HZ was lower compared to immunocompetent adults (68.2%), while vaccine efficacy of RZV against PHN was similar (89.3%). Higher incidences of HZ and PHN in patients after HSCT resulted in higher absolute reduction of cases and lower NNV (respectively 10 and 115). Observational studies confirmed a good vaccine effectiveness, albeit lower than in RCTs (ranging between 70% and 85%). No safety signal was identified neither in RCTs with immunocompetent or immunocompromised adults nor in observational studies and post-marketing surveillance. Increased reactogenicity after RZV vaccination, limited in extent and duration, did not result in low second dose compliance.

Conclusion

Although vaccine efficacy in RCTs and effectiveness in the real world has been reported to be good, it needs to be stressed that high numbers of immunocompetent adults need to be vaccinated to prevent HZ and PHN. Due to higher incidence, more acceptable NNVs were calculated in immunocompromised adults after HSCT.

The value of herpes zoster prevention in people aging with HIV: A narrative review

OBJECTIVE

Review the evidence on the incidence and impact of herpes zoster among people living with HIV and the potential impact of recombinant zoster vaccine for people aging with HIV.

METHODS

Narrative review.

RESULTS

Although antiretroviral therapy has substantially reduced the risk of herpes zoster among people living with HIV, they remain at an increased risk compared with the general population. Among people aging with HIV, aging per se is now the main risk factor for herpes zoster. Beyond pain, herpes zoster is also associated with a risk of sight-threatening complications in case of trigeminal involvement, disseminated diseases and stroke. Post-herpetic neuralgia is also a potential threat to the quality of life of people aging with HIV. The recombinant zoster vaccine has demonstrated high and sustained efficacy in the prevention of herpes zoster, post-herpetic neuralgia, and other herpes zoster complications in the general population. Immunogenicity data among people living with HIV with high CD4+ T-cell count and controlled viral load are comparable to those among the general population. Real-life effectiveness data indicate high vaccine efficacy among immunocompromised patients other than people living with HIV. High vaccine price, vaccine hesitancy, and limited disease and vaccine awareness represent potential hurdles for high vaccine uptake among people aging with HIV in Europe.

CONCLUSIONS

Herpes zoster, and its complications, is a vaccine-preventable disease of aging people. Given its impact on quality of life, herpes zoster prevention using recombinant zoster vaccine is a safe strategy to be considered in every person aging with HIV.

Construction and validity of an educational video to prevent immunization errors

OBJECTIVE

to construct and validate an orientation video, based on a low-fidelity clinical simulation scenario, to prevent immunization errors.

METHODS

a methodological study with video construction, validated in two stages by different audiences. Content was selected based on a realistic simulation scenario of the vaccine administration process to a patient-actor. Items with concordance greater than 0.8 and 0.6 were considered valid, verified using the Content Validity Index (CVI) and the Content Validity Ratio (CVR), respectively.

RESULTS

judges' CVI had an average of 97.5%, and CVR, 0.9, and health professionals' CVI, 95.4%, and CVR, 0.8. Successes in administering vaccines were addressed, such as careful reading of labels, double-checking the vaccine, distractions/interruptions and error reporting.

CONCLUSIONS

the video was constructed and validated in terms of content, and can be used in training professionals working in vaccination.

Prevention of Herpes Zoster: A Focus on the Effectiveness and Safety of Herpes Zoster Vaccines

Infection with varicella zoster virus typically occurs in children and it can cause primary varicella infection or "chickenpox", or it can reactivate later in life and cause herpes zoster or "shingles". Herpes zoster mainly occurs in older adults, causing a reduction in activities of daily living, impacting quality of life, and may lead to serious complications, including chronic pain. Two vaccines are marketed to prevent herpes zoster: the live zoster vaccine and the non-live, recombinant zoster vaccine. The pre-licensure clinical trials show the efficacy of the live zoster vaccine to be between 50 and 70% and for the recombinant vaccine to be higher at 90 to 97%. Real-world effectiveness studies, with a follow-up of approximately 10 years, were reviewed in this article. These data corroborated the efficacy studies, with vaccine effectiveness being 46% and 85% for the live and recombinant vaccines, respectively. Safety data from the effectiveness studies show similar results to the clinical trials with mostly local injection-site reactions and mild systemic reactions seen with both vaccines, although in larger proportions with the recombinant vaccine. Rare adverse events, occurring less than 1% of the time, have been seen with both vaccine types and include disseminated herpes zoster with the live zoster vaccine and Guillain-Barré syndrome with the recombinant vaccine. The wider use of preventative measures with vaccines will reduce the herpes zoster burden of illness seen in older adults.

Ocular effects caused by viral infections and corresponding vaccines: An overview of varicella zoster virus, measles virus, influenza viruses, hepatitis B virus, and SARS-CoV-2

Many viral infections can affect vision and the visual system. Vaccination to prevent diseases is commonplace today, acting by stimulating an immune response without developing the pathology. It involves the production of persisting antibodies against the pathogen and the activation of T cells. Certain diseases have already been eradicated by rigorous vaccination campaigns, while others are hoped to be eliminated soon. Vaccines currently available on the market are largely safe, even if they can rarely cause some adverse effects, such as ocular complications. Analyzing existing literature, we aimed to compare the pathological effects on the eye due to the most common viral infections [in particular varicella zoster virus (VZV), measles virus, influenza viruses, hepatitis B virus, and SARS-CoV-2] with the possible ocular adverse effects of their relative vaccines, in order to establish a risk-benefit relationship from an ophthalmological point of view.

Active Postlicensure Safety Surveillance for Recombinant Zoster Vaccine Using Electronic Health Record Data

Recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) (Shingrix; GlaxoSmithKline, Brentford, United Kingdom) is an adjuvanted glycoprotein vaccine that was licensed in 2017 to prevent herpes zoster (shingles) and its complications in older adults. In this prospective, postlicensure Vaccine Safety Datalink study using electronic health records, we sequentially monitored a real-world population of adults aged ≥50 years who received care in multiple US Vaccine Safety Datalink health systems to identify potentially increased risks of 10 prespecified health outcomes, including stroke, anaphylaxis, and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). Among 647,833 RZV doses administered from January 2018 through December 2019, we did not detect a sustained increased risk of any monitored outcome for RZV recipients relative to either historical (2013-2017) recipients of zoster vaccine live, a live attenuated virus vaccine (Zostavax; Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey), or contemporary non-RZV vaccine recipients who had an annual well-person visit during the 2018-2019 study period. We confirmed prelicensure trial findings of increased risks of systemic and local reactions following RZV. Our study provides additional reassurance about the overall safety of RZV. Despite a large sample, uncertainty remains regarding potential associations with GBS due to the limited number of confirmed GBS cases that were observed.

Utility of urinary cytokine levels as predictors of the immunogenicity and reactogenicity of AS01-adjuvanted hepatitis B vaccine in healthy adults

Plasma cytokines are useful indicators of the inflammatory response to vaccination, and can serve as potential biomarkers of the systemic reactogenicity and immunogenicity of vaccines. Measurement of cytokines in urine may represent a non-invasive alternative to the blood-based markers. To evaluate whether urinary cytokine levels can help predict vaccine responses to an AS01_B-adjuvanted vaccine, we measured concentrations of 24 cytokines in the urine from 30 hepatitis B virus (HBV)-naïve adults following administration of AS01_B-adjuvanted HBV surface antigen vaccine (NCT01777295). Levels post-dose 2 were compared with the levels measured following a single placebo (saline) injection, which was administered 1 month before the first vaccination in the same participants. Urine was collected at eight timepoints before or up to 1 week following each treatment. Urinary concentrations were normalized to creatinine levels, and paired with previously reported, participant-matched plasma levels, local and systemic reactogenicity scores, and antibody response magnitudes. Of the urine cytokine panel, only few analytes were detectable: IL-8, IL-18 and IL-6 receptor, each showing no clear changes after vaccination as compared to placebo administration, and MCP-1 (CCL2) and IP-10 (CXCL10), which displayed in most participants transient surges post-vaccination. Urine levels did not correlate with the matched plasma levels. Interestingly, urinary IP-10 levels at 1 day post-second vaccination were significantly correlated (P = 0.023) with the concurrent intensity scores of systemic reactogenicity, though not with the local reactogenicity scores or peak antibody responses. No significant correlations were detected for MCP-1. Altogether, most urinary cytokines have limited utility as a proxy for plasma cytokines to help predict the inflammatory response, the immunogenicity or the reactogenicity of AS01_B-adjuvanted vaccine, with the possible exception of IP-10. The utility of urinary IP-10 as a potential complementary biomarker of systemic vaccine reactogenicity needs substantiation in larger studies.

A Broad Safety Assessment of the Recombinant Herpes Zoster Vaccine

The recombinant herpes zoster vaccine (RZV), approved as a 2-dose series in the United States in October 2017, has proven highly effective and generally safe. However, a small risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome after vaccination was identified after approval, and questions remain about other possible adverse events. This data-mining study assessed RZV safety in the United States using the self-controlled tree-temporal scan statistic, scanning data on thousands of diagnoses recorded during follow-up to detect any statistically unusual temporal clustering of cases within a large hierarchy of diagnoses. IBM MarketScan data on commercially insured persons at least 50 years of age receiving RZV between January 1, 2018, and May 5, 2020, were used, including 56 days of follow-up; 1,014,329 doses were included. Statistically significant clustering was found within a few days of vaccination for unspecified adverse effects, complications, or reactions to immunization or other medical substances/care; fever; unspecified allergy; syncope/collapse; cellulitis; myalgia; and dizziness/giddiness. These findings are consistent with the known safety profile of this and other injected vaccines. No cluster of Guillain-Barré syndrome was detected, possibly due to insufficient sample size. This signal-detection method has now been applied to 5 vaccines, with consistently plausible results, and seems a promising addition to vaccine-safety evaluation methods.

Safety and reactogenicity of the adjuvanted recombinant zoster vaccine: experience from clinical trials and post-marketing surveillance

An adjuvanted recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) is licensed for the prevention of herpes zoster. This paper reviews its safety and reactogenicity. A pooled analysis of two pivotal randomized Phase-3 trials (NCT01165177, NCT01165229) in adults ⩾50 years found that more solicited adverse events (AEs) were reported with RZV than placebo. Injection site pain was the most common solicited AE (RZV: 78.0% participants; placebo: 10.9%). Grade-3 pain occurred in 6.4% of RZV and 0.3% of placebo recipients. Myalgia, fatigue, and headache were the most commonly reported general solicited AEs (RZV: 44.7%, 44.5%, and 37.7%, respectively; placebo: 11.7%, 16.5%, and 15.5%, respectively). Most symptoms were mild to moderate in intensity with a median duration of 2–3 days. The intensity of reactogenicity symptoms did not differ substantially after the first and second vaccine doses. The pooled analysis of the pivotal Phase-3 trials did not identify any clinically relevant differences in the overall incidence of serious adverse events (SAEs), fatal AEs or potential immune-mediated diseases (pIMDs) between RZV and placebo. Reactogenicity in five studies of immunocompromised patients ⩾18 years (autologous stem cell transplant, human immunodeficiency virus, solid tumors, hematological malignancies, and renal transplant; NCT01610414, NCT01165203, NCT01798056, NCT01767467, and NCT02058589) was consistent with that observed in the pivotal Phase-3 trials. There were no clinically relevant differences between RZV and placebo in the immunocompromised populations with regard to overall incidence of SAEs, fatal AEs, pIMDs, or AEs related to patients’ underlying condition. Post-marketing surveillance found that the most commonly reported AEs were consistent with the reactogenicity profile of the vaccine in clinical trials. Overall, the clinical safety data for RZV are reassuring.

An Analysis of Spontaneously Reported Data of Vesicular and Bullous Cutaneous Eruptions Occurring Following Vaccination with the Adjuvanted Recombinant Zoster Vaccine

Introduction

With the approval of the adjuvanted recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV; Shingrix, GSK) in October 2017, GSK established enhanced safety surveillance measures to allow prompt identification of potential safety signals not observed during clinical development. In Germany, cases of vesicular and bullous cutaneous eruptions following RZV vaccination were reported.

Objective

Our objective was to search and analyse 2.5 years of worldwide spontaneously reported post-marketing data for vesicular and bullous cutaneous eruptions, represented by adverse events suggestive of (1) herpes zoster (HZ) and (2) non-HZ vesicular and bullous cutaneous eruptions, that occurred following RZV vaccination.

Methods

We conducted a descriptive analysis of all identified reports of HZ and non-HZ vesicular and bullous cutaneous eruptions following RZV vaccination and an observed versus expected (O/E) analysis of reports of HZ that met criteria of varicella zoster virus (VZV) reactivations following RZV vaccination (i.e., time to onset [TTO] of the event < 30 days or missing after any dose).

Results

Until the data lock point, 32,597,779 RZV doses had been distributed globally. There were 2423 reports of HZ (including complications) identified, of which 645 met the criteria of possible vaccination failure (i.e., TTO of the event ≥ 30 days or missing following a complete RZV vaccination schedule). The O/E analysis of 1928 reports assessed as possible VZV reactivations indicated that the observed number of cases was lower than that expected in the general population. Additionally, 810 reports of non-HZ vesicular and bullous cutaneous eruptions were identified, including injection site rashes attributed to the vaccine’s reactogenicity.

Conclusion

This review of spontaneously reported post-marketing data did not raise safety concerns regarding the occurrence of vesicular and bullous cutaneous eruptions following vaccination with RZV.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40264-021-01118-3.

Shingles is a disease caused by reactivation of the chickenpox virus. It mostly affects adults aged 50 years and older and patients of all ages who have an impaired immune system. Diagnosis of shingles is often based only on the presence of symptoms such as a typical rash and pain. However, rashes can have various other causes (e.g., allergies, autoimmune diseases, and infections). Consequently, rashes with other causes may be misdiagnosed as shingles. Adults at increased risk of shingles and/or aged 50 years and older may be vaccinated with Shingrix (GSK, Belgium) to protect them from shingles and its complications. Since Shingrix became available in Germany, blister-like skin rashes have been reported that occurred shortly after vaccination. We searched the GSK safety database for reports of blister-like skin rashes that occurred following vaccination with Shingrix and that were spontaneously reported from countries where Shingrix was first marketed. To analyse these reports of rashes, we described the reports that we retrieved, we performed a statistical analysis to quantify whether the number of events assessed as reactivations of the chickenpox virus following Shingrix vaccination was higher than the number of reactivations that would be expected in the general population, and we described possible explanations for the observed rashes and underlying disease mechanisms. Our analyses did not raise safety concerns related to the onset of these rashes after vaccination with Shingrix. This paper raises awareness about the varying causes of rashes since a shingles-like rash that onsets shortly after vaccination with Shingrix is not necessarily caused by vaccination. In conclusion, this analysis shows that caution is needed when evaluating rashes in older adults and that all potential contributing factors (e.g., pre-existing diseases, medication, vaccination) should be considered.

Humoral Immunity to Varicella Zoster Virus in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Rheumatoid Arthritis Compared to Healthy Controls

Background: The prevalence of herpes zoster (HZ) is high in patients with rheumatic diseases. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) doubles the risk for developing HZ. However, little is known about natural humoral immunity against varicella zoster virus (VZV) in patients with SLE. Hence, we compared VZV IgG antibody concentrations in a group of SLE patients with healthy controls and patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: n = 56 patients with SLE, n = 54 patients with RA, and n = 56 healthy controls were included in this study. The VZV IgG antibody concentration was measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The antibody concentrations were compared between the groups. Results: Overall IgG antibody titers for VZV in SLE patients were comparable to healthy controls but higher when compared to patients with rheumatoid arthritis (p = 0.0012). In consequence, antibody levels in controls were higher than in RA patients (p = 0.0097). Stratification by age revealed highest titers among SLE patients in the fourth life decade (p = 0.03 for controls, p = 0.0008 for RA patients) whereas RA patients in their sixth decade had the lowest antibody concentration (p = 0.03 for controls, p = 0.04 for SLE patients). Regarding the individual HZ history, antibody levels of SLE patients with a positive history exceeded all other groups. Conclusions: Although humoral VZV immunity in SLE patients is comparable to healthy controls it seems to be pronounced in young SLE patients between 30 and 39. The lowest VZV IgG levels were found in RA patients. HZ seems to induce antibody production, particularly in patients with SLE. Immunological processes might contribute to VZV antibody levels in SLE patients, but further investigations are needed to substantiate this hypothesis. Even though the increased HZ prevalence seems to be independent of humoral immunity in SLE patients, reduced humoral immunity might contribute to HZ in RA patients. The available HZ subunit vaccination might be an appropriate way to reduce the HZ risk in patients with rheumatic diseases.

Herpes Zoster in Solid Organ Transplantation: Incidence and Risk Factors

Background

Studies on herpes zoster (HZ) incidence in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients report widely varying numbers. We investigated HZ incidence, severity, and risk factors in recipients of four different SOTs, with a follow-up time of 6-14 years.

Methods

Records of 1,033 transplant recipients after first heart (HTx: n = 211), lung (LuTx: n = 121), liver (LiTx: n = 258) and kidney (KTx: n = 443) transplantation between 2000 and 2014 were analyzed for VZV-PCR, clinical signs of HZ, and complications.

Results

HZ was diagnosed in 108 of 1,033 patients (10.5%): 36 HTx, 17 LuTx, 15 LiTx, and 40 KTx recipients. Overall HZ incidence rate after HTx (30.7 cases/1,000 person-years (PY)), LuTx (38.8 cases/1,000 PY), LiTx (22.7 cases/1,000 PY) and KTx (14.5 cases/1,000 PY) was significantly higher than in the general 50-70 year population. Multivariable analysis demonstrated age ≥50 years at transplantation (p = 0.038, RR 1.536), type of organ transplant (overall p = 0.002; LuTx p = 0.393; RR 1.314; LiTx p = 0.011, RR 0.444; KTx p = 0.034, RR 0.575), CMV prophylaxis (p = 0.043, RR 0.631) and type of anti-rejection therapy (overall p = 0.020; methylprednisolone p = 0.008, RR 0.475; r-ATG p = 0.64, RR1.194) as significant risk factors. Complications occurred in 33 of 108 (31%) patients (39% of HTx, 47% of LuTx, 20% of LiTx, 20% of KTx): post-herpetic neuralgia, disseminated disease, and cranial nerve involvement.

Conclusion

HZ incidence and severity in SOT recipients are most pronounced after heart and lung transplantation, in older patients, and when CMV prophylaxis is lacking.

Completion of the two-dose recombinant zoster vaccine series in adults 50 years and older

BACKGROUND

In 2017, a new adjuvanted recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) was recommended for adults ≥50 years as two-dose series 2-6 months apart. We evaluated two-dose RZV completion and factors associated with completion.

METHODS

The study included Kaiser Permanente Southern California members ≥50 years who received an RZV dose during April-November 2018 and had continuous membership 12 months before to 9 months after the first RZV dose. Completion was defined as receipt of the second dose ≥4 weeks to 9 months after the first dose (allowing 3-month grace period). Characteristics including age, sex, race/ethnicity, Medicaid status, neighborhood level income and education, comorbidities, history of zoster, health care utilization before and after the first dose, receipt of influenza vaccine, vaccination month (supply shortage proxy), concomitant vaccine, medical center, and medically attended reactions, pain, or gout after the first dose were compared between completers and non-completers. Adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for factors associated with completion were estimated by multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS

Among 31,120 first dose recipients, 67.2% completed the series within 9 months. In adjusted analyses, higher completion was associated with White compared with Black or Hispanic race/ethnicity, higher neighborhood income and education, no chronic pulmonary disease, diabetes, or dementia, more outpatient visits and fewer emergency department visits before or after the first dose, no hospitalizations after the first dose, receipt of influenza vaccine, receipt of the first dose in June-November rather than April-May 2018, and no concomitant vaccine with the first dose. Systemic reactions or pain after the first dose was not associated with completion.

CONCLUSION

Completion of RZV series appears suboptimal in the early phase of implementation. Despite similar accessibility in a health care system, completion varied by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, health status, and care seeking behavior, suggesting areas to target for improvement.

Post-Marketing Safety Surveillance for the Adjuvanted Recombinant Zoster Vaccine: Methodology

A diligent, systematic, regular review of aggregate safety data is essential, particularly early after vaccine introduction, as this is when safety signals not identified during clinical development may emerge. In October 2017, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended the adjuvanted recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV; Shingrix, GSK) as the preferred vaccine for preventing herpes zoster (HZ) and related complications in immunocompetent adults aged ≥ 50 years. Subsequently, GSK experienced an unprecedented high demand for RZV. In this methodology paper, we summarize the enhanced measures undertaken to assess RZV safety during its early post-marketing experience in the USA, Canada and Germany. In addition to the routine signal-detection methods already in place for all vaccines, GSK established tailored and enhanced safety monitoring for RZV based on aggregate data of spontaneous reports and manufacturing data. Proactive, near real-time detection and evaluation of signals was a key objective. A dedicated in-house signal-detection tool customized for RZV was employed on a weekly (rather than the routine monthly) basis, allowing for a centralized, more frequent review of data on a single web-based platform. We also identified the background incidence rates of preselected medical events of interest in the first countries to introduce RZV (USA, Canada and Germany) to perform observed-to-expected analyses. This approach may offer a solution to the challenges associated with the assessment and monitoring of vaccine safety in an efficient and timely manner in the context of high vaccine uptake.