French National Health Authority Recommends Routine Vaccination with Zostavax® to Protect Seniors Against Shingles

Lyon, France (ots/PRNewswire) -

France becomes second European country after the UK to provide
nation-wide

recommendation for zoster vaccination.

The French National High Council for Public Health (HCSP) has
recommended routine shingles vaccination for seniors from 65 to 74
years of age. In addition, during the first year a catch-up will be
proposed to 75-79 year-olds[1].

The recommendation acknowledges the heavy burden of shingles and its
often-associated condition, long-lasting pain called post-herpetic
neuralgia. The High Council recognizes the significant scientific
evidence that vaccination is the only health option that prevents
both incidence and severity of disease. There is no satisfactory
preventive nor therapeutic alternative for managing shingles and its
complications. The report[1]also underlines the vaccine's good safety
profile and cost-effectiveness.

Zostavax(R) is the first and only vaccine available for the
prevention of shingles and post herpetic neuralgia. The vaccine is
licensed in Europe for immunisation of adults over 50 years old and
can be given as a single injection.

"We welcome the High Council's recommendation and look forward to
more decisions similar to this one across Europe," notes Dr Jean-Paul
Kress, President of Sanofi Pasteur MSD. "We are very pleased that
seniors in France will soon have access to Zostavax(R). No senior
should suffer the pain and potential complications of shingles, so we
are proud to be a part of this solution."

One in four people will develop shingles during their
lifetime[2],[3]. Anyone who has had chickenpox (95 % of the European
population[4]) is potentially at risk as shingles is caused by the
reactivation of the chickenpox (varicella) virus that most people get
during childhood and stay dormant in the body. Age is clearly the
main risk factor, and both shingles incidence and severity increases
sharply after the age of 50, with two third of shingles cases
occurring in people over 50 years.

Shingles is a painful and debilitating disease which is typically
characterized by a painful rash and blisters on the skin. It can lead
to serious complications such as post-herpetic neuralgia, a painful
and long-lasting condition caused by nerve damage the virus inflicts.
Shingles management can be particularly challenging when it occurs in
elderly.

France now becomes the second European country after the UK [http://
www.spmsd.com/news/uk-first-major-european-country-to-run-zostavax-na
tionwide-shingles-vaccination-programme ] to recommend routine use of
Zostavax(R). The vaccine has been used in the United States since
2006 and more than 15 million doses of the vaccine have been
distributed.

About Sanofi Pasteur MSD http://www.spmsd.com

Sanofi Pasteur MSD is a joint venture between Sanofi Pasteur, the
vaccine division of Sanofi, and Merck, known as MSD outside the USA
and Canada. Combining innovation and expertise, Sanofi Pasteur MSD is
the only company in Europe dedicated exclusively to vaccines. Sanofi
Pasteur MSD is able to draw on the research expertise of Sanofi
Pasteur and Merck to focus on the development of new vaccines to
improve disease prevention across Europe.

References:

1. HCSP report, available at
http://www.hcsp.fr/explore.cgi/avisrapportsdomaine?clefr=390

2. Bowsher D. The lifetime occurrence of Herpes zoster and prevalence
of postherpetic neuralgia: A retrospective survey in an elderly
population. Eur J Pain 1999; 3 : 335-42

3. Miller E, Marshall R, Vurdien J. Epidemiology, outcome and control
of varicella zoster infection. Rev Med Microbiol 1993: 4: 222-30

4. Johnson RW, Wasner G, Saddier P, Baron R. Postherpetic neuralgia:
epidemiology, Pathophysiology and management. Expert Rev Neurother
2007;7(11):1581-95.

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