Herpes Zoster (HZ) infection is a vaccine-preventable disease that occurs when a previous infection with varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is reactivated; patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma have suppressed immunity and therefore are at a higher risk of being infected and experiencing complications. touchRESPIRATORY were delighted to speak with Dr. Barbara Yawn (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA) to discuss whether people with asthma or COPD should be vaccinated against HZ and the impact these respiratory disorders have on incidence rates and risk of complications from HZ infection.
The abstract ‘RISK FACTORS FOR HERPES ZOSTER VIRUS: SHOULD PEOPLE WITH ASTHMA OR COPD BE VACCINATED?.’ (Poster 2030) was presented at CHEST 2022, 16-19 October, 2022 based on a study funded by GSK Biologics SA.
Questions
- Should herpes zoster (HZ) vaccination be added to the care of people with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)? (0:17)
- What are the incidence and symptoms of HZ infection? (0:43)
- What impact does asthma or COPD diagnosis have on incidence rates and risk of complications from HZ infection? (2:29)
Disclosures: Barbara Yawn discloses consulting for and serving on advisory boards for GSK, AZ, BI and TEVA.
Support: Interview and filming supported by Touch Medical Media Ltd. Interview conducted by Victoria Jones.
Filmed in coverage of the CHEST meeting 2022.
