L’Herpes zoster, more commonly known as “shingles”, is the reactivation of the chickenpox virus, which affects the nervous structures. About 1 in 3 adults are at risk of developing an episode of shingles in their lifetime, but in patients with cancer the risk is higher.
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Herpes zoster: Cancer patients at higher risk
«Reactivation of the virus is usually associated with a painful rash which, although it can occur anywhere on the body, appears more frequently on one side of the chest or abdomen in the form of a single strip of blisters. According to the Recommendations of the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM) not only do cancer patients have twice the chance of developing Herpes Zoster but they also have a high probability of facing the serious consequences of the viruswhich can lead to death. This is why it is essential that all citizens with cancer, especially those who are immunosuppressed, are vaccinated against Herpes Zoster» warns Saverio Cinieri, President of AIOM.
The importance of the vaccine
The information must come from healthcare professionals and clinicians who follow fragile people is the message of Roberta Siliquini, president of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health (Siti): “Filky people, including cancer patients, can demand the right to be vaccinated against important diseases such as Herpes zoster, pneumonia and therefore pneumococcus, flu, Covid and many other pathologies. An information that must derive from health professionals, general practitioners, but also from clinicians who follow frail people for priority pathologies ».
Adds John Rezza, former director general of health prevention at the Ministry of Health: «It is not enough to cover older people, the vaccine must also be ensured for people who are under 60 years of age, but with pathologies such as to compromise the immune system. The so-called fragile or vulnerable people. They must be offered the same vaccines that are offered to the elderly, such as the flu vaccine first of all, but also the zoster vaccine ».