Van said she undergoes dialysis three times a week at Tam Anh General Hospital and is currently in stable condition. Two of her four sisters, aged 85 and 75, have both experienced shingles. Even after the rash healed, they suffered from persistent pain in their neck and rib areas.

While undergoing dialysis, her doctor explained that patients with end-stage kidney disease have weakened immune systems, making them more susceptible to shingles. Consequently, Van decided to get vaccinated at VNVC and encouraged her sister to do the same.

"At our age, with multiple underlying health conditions, the risk of getting sick is high, so we decided to get vaccinated for safety", Van said.

Elderly people receive the shingles vaccine at VNVC. *Photo: Hoang Duong*

Similarly, 85-year-old Cao Thi Hoa, also from Ho Chi Minh City, was taken by her daughter to VNVC for the shingles vaccine. Hoa has had diabetes and hypertension for many years. She has previously received various vaccines, including those for the flu, pneumonia, tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough.

She said thanks to regularly taking her diabetes medication as prescribed, maintaining a positive attitude, and receiving vaccinations, she remains healthy and alert.

Doctor Phan Nguyen Truong Giang, Medical Manager at VNVC, explained that shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), the same virus responsible for chickenpox. After a chickenpox infection, the virus can remain dormant in nerve tissues and reactivate later as shingles, particularly when the immune system is weakened due to factors like aging, underlying illnesses, immunosuppressant medications, or prolonged stress.

Individuals with shingles can transmit chickenpox to others through direct contact with the fluid from the blisters. Chickenpox spreads through close contact, either by inhaling virus particles or touching the fluid from the blisters.

Studies show that people with diabetes have a higher risk of developing shingles than the general population. A 2022 meta-analysis published in the US National Library of Medicine indicated that individuals with diabetes are 1.38 times more likely to develop shingles. Another 2021 study, which synthesized data from articles spanning 19 years, found the annual incidence of shingles among diabetics to be 7.22 per 1,000 people, compared to 4.12 per 1,000 in the general population.

Elderly individuals should maintain a healthy diet and a positive outlook to prevent illness. *Photo: Vecteezy*

Common symptoms of shingles include a painful, itchy rash with blisters. The virus can also spread through nerves and blood, leading to complications such as encephalitis, meningitis, myocarditis, corneal ulcers, blindness, and postherpetic neuralgia.

Preventive measures include maintaining good hygiene, consuming a balanced and nutritious diet, regular exercise appropriate for one's physical condition, and cultivating a positive mindset. Vaccination is also recommended.

Vietnam currently offers a shingles vaccine for individuals aged 50 and above with a normal immune system, administered in two doses, two months apart. Those aged 18 and above with underlying health conditions, weakened immune systems, or currently taking immunosuppressants require two doses, one month apart.

The two-dose vaccine is over 97% effective in preventing shingles in people aged 50 and above and up to 87% effective in those aged 18 and above with weakened immune systems. The vaccine also reduces the risk of postherpetic neuralgia and other complications by more than 90%.

Chi Anh