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. We caught up with Dr. Barbara Yawn (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA) to discuss which therapies increase the incidence of HZ infection and the role of respiratory specialists in recommending vaccinations.
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
- What therapies increase the incidence of HZ infection in these patients? (0:17)
- What is the role of respiratory specialists in vaccinations? (1:37)
Disclosures: Barbara Yawn discloses consulting for and serving on advisory boards for GSK, AZ, BI and TEVA.
Support:Â Interview and filming supported by Touch Medical Media Ltd. Interview conducted by Victoria Jones.
Filmed in coverage of the CHEST meeting 2022.
