I am 72 years old and still have a lot of chickenpox antibodies in my blood: am I protected from a possible herpes zoster infection?
The presence of antibodies against the varicella virus does not protect against shingles. Indeed, the presence of antibodies (which last a lifetime) is a sign of a previous disease and therefore of the possibility of reactivation of the virus with consequent Herpes Zoster symptoms. Vaccination in your case is absolutely recommended.
I had the chickenpox vaccine as a child, am I protected from shingles?
Send your questions to vaccini@gedi.it
*Roberta Siliquini is President of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health (SItI)
