Editorial commentary: zoster vaccine in immunocompromised patients: time to reconsider current recommendations

Herpes zoster vaccine effectiveness against herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia in New Zealand: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Herpes zoster (HZ) and associated complications cause significant burden to older people. A HZ vaccination programme was introduced in Aotearoa New Zealand in April 2018 with a single dose vaccine for those aged 65 years and a four-year catch up for 66-80 year-olds. This study aimed to assess the 'real-world' effectiveness of the zoster vaccine live (ZVL) against HZ and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).

METHODS

We conducted a nationwide retrospective matched cohort study from 1 April 2018 to 1 April 2021 using a linked de-identified patient level Ministry of Health data platform. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate ZVL vaccine effectiveness (VE) against HZ and PHN adjusting for covariates. Multiple outcomes were assessed in the primary (hospitalised HZ and PHN - primary diagnosis) and secondary (hospitalised HZ and PHN: primary and secondary diagnosis, community HZ) analyses. A sub-group analysis was carried out in, adults ≥ 65 years old, immunocompromised adults, Māori, and Pacific populations.

FINDINGS

A total of 824,142 (274,272 vaccinated with ZVL matched with 549,870 unvaccinated) New Zealand residents were included in the study. The matched population was 93.4% immunocompetent, 52.2% female, 80.2% European (level 1 ethnic codes), and 64.5% were 65-74 years old (mean age = 71.1±5.0). Vaccinated versus unvaccinated incidence of hospitalised HZ was 0.16 vs. 0.31/1,000 person-years and 0.03 vs. 0.08/1000 person-years for PHN. In the primary analysis, the adjusted overall VE against hospitalised HZ and hospitalised PHN was 57.8% (95% CI: 41.1-69.8) and 73.7% (95% CI:14.0-92.0) respectively. In adults ≥ 65 years old, the VE against hospitalised HZ was 54.4% (95% CI: 36.0-67.5) and VE against hospitalised PHN was 75·5% (95% CI: 19.9-92.5). In the secondary analysis, the VE against community HZ was 30.0% (95% CI: 25.6-34.5). The ZVL VE against hospitalised HZ for immunocompromised adults was 51.1% (95% CI: 23.1-69.5), and PHN hospitalisation was 67.6% (95% CI: 9.3-88.4). The VE against HZ hospitalisation for Māori was 45.2% (95% CI: -23.2-75.6) and for Pacific Peoples was 52.2% (95% CI: -40.6 -83·7).

INTERPRETATION

ZVL was associated with a reduction in risk of hospitalisation from HZ and PHN in the New Zealand population.

FUNDING

Wellington Doctoral Scholarship awarded to JFM.

Safety of inadvertent administration of live zoster vaccine to immunosuppressed individuals in a UK-based observational cohort analysis

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the safety of live attenuated varicella zoster vaccination when administered to immunosuppressed individuals.

DESIGN

Prospective observational cohort study.

SETTING

The study used anonymised data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), comprising a representative sample of routinely collected primary care data in England between 2013 and 2017 and and linked Hospital Episode Statistics data.

PARTICIPANTS

168 767 individuals age-eligible for varicella zoster vaccination registered at a general practice in England contributing data to CPRD.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Electronic health records indicating immunosuppression, zoster vaccination, diagnoses of specific varicella-zoster virus (VZV)-related disease and non-specific rash/encephalitis compatible with VZV-related disease.

RESULTS

Between 1 September 2013 and 31 August 2017, a period of immunosuppression was identified for 9093/168 767 (5.4%; 95% CI: 5.3%-5.5%) individuals age-eligible for zoster vaccination. The overall rate of vaccination while immunosuppressed was 1742/5251 (33.2 per 100 adjusted person years at risk; 95% CI: 31.9%-34.5%). Follow-up of the 1742 individuals who were inadvertently vaccinated while immunosuppressed identified only two cases of VZV-related disease within 8 weeks of vaccination (0.1%; 95% CI: 0.01%-0.4%), both primary care diagnoses of 'shingles', neither with a related hospital admission.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite evidence of inadvertent vaccination of immunosuppressed individuals with live zoster vaccination, there is a lack of evidence of severe consequences including hospitalisation. This should reassure primary care staff and encourage vaccination of mildly immunosuppressed individuals who do not meet current thresholds for contraindication. These findings support a review of the extent to which live zoster vaccination is contraindicated among the immunosuppressed.

Updates on the use of vaccines in dermatological conditions

Numerous vaccines are being actively developed for use in dermatologic diseases. Advances in the fields of immunotherapy, genetics and molecular medicine have allowed for the design of prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines with immense potential in managing infections and malignancies of the skin. This review addresses the different vaccines available for use in dermatological diseases and those under development for future potential use. The major limitation of our review is its complete reliance on published data. Our review is strictly limited to the availability of published research online through available databases. We do not cite any of the authors' previous publications nor have we conducted previous original research studies regarding vaccines in dermatology. Strength would have been added to our paper had we conducted original studies by our research team regarding the candidate vaccines delineated in the paper.

Studies with herpes zoster vaccines in immune compromised patients

INTRODUCTION

The active component of the herpes zoster vaccine (ZVL), licensed for people ≥50 years of age, is a live attenuated varicella-zoster virus. ZVL is contraindicated for immune compromised individuals, with limited regard to the degree of immunosuppression. Areas covered: This review evaluates phase I and II and observational studies for ZVL, and published reports of the off-label use of ZVL, for conditions and therapies for which investigators considered the risk-benefit for using ZVL to be favorable. It also discusses exploratory trials of ZVL for additional immune compromising conditions, and summarizes clinical guidelines from many countries and professional societies that are based upon recent investigations. Studies in immune compromised patients of investigational vaccines that do not contain live virus are reviewed. Expert commentary: It is likely that past and ongoing research with ZVL will define immune compromising diseases and/or therapies for which the risk-benefit for using ZVL vaccine is favorable. The main variables to consider in this assessment in immune compromised patients are safety, immunogenicity, protection against herpes zoster, and persistence of protection. Vaccination against herpes zoster prior to suppressing immunity is an important clinical strategy, although efficacy of this approach has not been evaluated in a clinical trial.

Shingles (Herpes Zoster) Vaccine (Zostavax(®)): A Review in the Prevention of Herpes Zoster and Postherpetic Neuralgia

Zostavax(®) is a live attenuated shingles (herpes zoster) vaccine approved in the EU for the prevention of herpes zoster (HZ) and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) in adults aged ≥50 years. Zoster vaccine protected against HZ in adults aged 50-59 years (ZEST trial) and ≥60 years [Shingles Prevention Study (SPS)], and also reduced the burden of illness associated with HZ and the risk of PHN in adults aged ≥60 years (SPS). A large amount of real-world data also supports the efficacy of zoster vaccine. Results of the SPS Short- and Long-Term Persistence Substudies and real-world studies indicate that zoster vaccine provided continued benefit in the longer term, albeit with a gradual decline in vaccine efficacy over time; long-term effectiveness studies are ongoing. The need for a booster dose is still unknown, but a study showed that, if necessary, a booster dose administered to adults aged ≥70 years who received their first dose of zoster vaccine ≥10 years previously was immunogenic. Zoster vaccine had a favourable safety and tolerability profile, with the most commonly reported adverse events being non-severe injection-site reactions. In conclusion, zoster vaccine reduces the incidence of HZ and PHN, thereby reducing the burden of illness associated with HZ; improved uptake of zoster vaccine is needed.

Fatal varicella pneumonia in an unvaccinated child with Down Syndrome: a case report

Background

Varicella is an acute infectious disease common during childhood. It has mostly an uncomplicated course in early childhood. Neverthless, it may result in severe complications, especially in particular age groups and clinical conditions. Down Syndrome represents a risk factor for developing complications, because of the frequent comorbidities and their immunodeficiency.

Case presentation

A 2-year-old white Caucasian female affected by Down Syndrome was referred to our hospital for cardiac arrest in course of varicella disease. After cardiopulmonary resuscitation and stabilization, her clinical conditions didn’t improve and she developed a massive pulmonary hemorrage, which led her to exitus.

Conclusions

Mortality due to varicella infection is rare, but it is more common in subjects with immune deficit or chronic pathologies, and in particular age-groups. The importance of the vaccine for preventable infectious diseases is stressed in this paper, in which we present a case of death in an unvaccinated cardiopathic child with Down Syndrome affected by varicella.

Risk of Herpes Zoster in Individuals on Biologics, Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs, and/or Corticosteroids for Autoimmune Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Studies examining the risk of herpes zoster (HZ) associated with immunosuppressants, such as biologics, nonbiological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (nbDMARDs), or corticosteroids, have generated conflicting results.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic literature search from January 1946 to February 2016. Search terms related to HZ, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematous, or inflammatory bowel disease, biologics, nbDMARDS, and corticosteroids were used. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies reporting associations between immunosuppressants and HZ outcomes in adults. For RCTs, we used the Mantel-Haenszel fixed-effects model to estimate pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for HZ risk. For observational studies, adjusted ORs were pooled separately using random-effects inverse variance models.

RESULTS

Data were pooled from 40 eligible RCTs (20136 patients) and 19 observational studies (810939 patients). Biologics were associated with a greater risk of HZ than control (RCTs: OR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.11-2.64; observational studies: OR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.39-1.81). In RCTs, the OR of non-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers was 2.19 (95% CI 1.20-4.02), but that of TNF blockers was not significantly different from control. Increased risks of HZ with nbDMARDs (OR = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.15-1.28) and corticosteroids (OR = 1.73; 95% CI = 1.57-1.89) were observed in observational studies, but few RCTs examined these comparisons.

CONCLUSIONS

Immunocompromised patients receiving biologics were associated with an increased risk of HZ. The risk is also increased with corticosteroids and nbDMARDs. These findings raise the issue of prophylaxis with zoster vaccine in patients initiating immunosuppressive therapy for autoimmune diseases.

Real-World Effectiveness and Safety of a Live-Attenuated Herpes Zoster Vaccine: A Comprehensive Review

Herpes zoster (HZ) is a common, painful and debilitating disease caused by the reactivation of latent varicella-zoster virus in ganglia. This clinical event occurs more frequently in the elderly and those who are immunocompromised. The most common complication of HZ is post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) which is responsible for the highest HZ-related burden of illness and is challenging to treat. Due to the important clinical and economic impact of HZ and PHN, and the suboptimal treatments that are currently available, HZ vaccination is an important approach to reduce the burden of illness. Currently, one-dose, live-attenuated vaccine is licensed in the United States and Europe to prevent HZ and it is included in some national immunization programs. The clinical efficacy, safety and tolerability of the vaccine has been demonstrated in two large phase III clinical trials, involving more than 38,000 and 22,000 individuals aged ≥60 and 50-59 years, respectively. This comprehensive review summarizes the extensive "real-world" effectiveness and safety data from both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. These data confirm those from the clinical trials, supporting the use of HZ vaccine in clinical practice and provide evidence that the current recommendations for immunocompromised individuals should be revised.

FUNDING

Funding for the editorial assistance, article processing charges, and open access fee for this publication was provided by Sanofi Pasteur MSD.

Immunosuppressive medication use and risk of herpes zoster (HZ) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE): A nationwide case-control study

BACKGROUND

The association between immunosuppressive medication use and herpes zoster (HZ) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has not been clearly defined.

OBJECTIVE

We evaluated the risk of HZ in patients with SLE treated with different immunosuppressants.

METHODS

A nationwide population-based case-control study was conducted using the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database. Cases (1555 patients with SLE who developed HZ) and controls (3049 age- and sex-matched patients with SLE but without HZ) were analyzed for use of various immunosuppressive medications in the preceding 3-month period, and dose-response relationships were determined. Logistic regression was performed to estimate the adjusted odds ratio for HZ development.

RESULTS

Medications associated with greater HZ risk in patients with SLE included oral corticosteroids, intravenous methylprednisolone, hydroxychloroquine, oral cyclophosphamide, intravenous cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, methotrexate, and mycophenolate mofetil. Combination immunosuppressive therapy was common in patients with SLE and was associated with greatly increased HZ risk. For oral corticosteroids and hydroxychloroquine, the risk of HZ was strongly dependent on the medication dose.

LIMITATIONS

This study is retrospective in nature.

CONCLUSION

Recent immunosuppressive medication use is associated with increased HZ risk in patients with SLE, particularly those receiving high-dose oral corticosteroids and multiagent immunosuppressive therapy.