Shingles Epidemic From Mass Chickenpox Vaccine Use

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PRESS RELEASEContact: Gary S. Goldman, Ph.D. Phone: 661-944-5661 Fax: 661-944-4483for immediate releaseCHICKEN POX VACCINE ASSOCIATED WITH SHINGLES EPIDEMICPearblossom, CA - New research published in the International Journal ofToxicology (IJT) by Gary S. Goldman, Ph.D., reveals high rates of shingles(herpes zoster) in Americans since the government's 1995 recommendation thatall children receive chicken pox vaccine. Goldman's research supports thatshingles, which results in three times as many deaths and five times thenumber of hospitalizations as chicken pox, is suppressed naturally byoccasional contact with chicken pox. Dr. Goldman's findings have corroborated other independent researcherswho estimate that if chickenpox were to be nearly eradicated by vaccination,the higher number of shingles cases could continue in the U.S. for up to 50years; and that while death rates from chickenpox are already very low, anydeaths prevented by vaccination will be offset by deaths from increasingshingles disease. Another recent peer-reviewed article authored by Dr.Goldman and published in Vaccine presents a cost-benefit analysis of theuniversal chicken pox (varicella) vaccination program. Goldman points outthat during a 50-year time span, there would be an estimated additional 14.6million (42%) shingles cases among adults aged less than 50 years,presenting society with a substantial additional medical cost burden of $4.1billion. This translates into $80 million annually, utilizing an estimatedmean healthcare provider cost of $280 per shingles case. After a child has had varicella (chickenpox), the virus becomes dormantand can reactivate later in adulthood in a closely related disease calledshingles--both caused by the same varicella-zoster virus (VZV). It has longbeen known that adults receive natural boosting from contact with children infected with chicken pox that helps prevent the reactivation of shingles. Based on Dr. Goldman's earlier communications with the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention (CDC), Goldman maintains that epidemiologistsfrom the CDC are hoping "any possible shingles epidemic associated with thechickenpox vaccine can be offset by treating adults with a shinglesvaccine." This intervention would substitute for the boosting adultspreviously received naturally, especially during seasonal outbreaks of theformerly common childhood disease. "Using a shingles vaccine to control shingles epidemics in adults wouldlikely fail because adult vaccination programs have rarely provedsuccessful," said Goldman. "There appears to be no way to avoid a massepidemic of shingles lasting as long as several generations among adults." Goldman's analysis in IJT indicates that effectiveness of thechickenpox vaccine itself is also dependent on natural boosting, so that aschickenpox declines, so does the effectiveness of the vaccine. "Theprincipal reason that vaccinees in Japan maintained high levels of immunity20 years following vaccination was that only 1 in 5 (or 20%) of Japanesechildren were vaccinated," he said. "So those vaccinated receivedimmunologic boosting from contact with children with natural chickenpox. Butthe universal varicella vaccination program in the U.S. will nearlyeradicate this natural boosting mechanism and will leave our populationvulnerable to shingles epidemics." For decades it was thought shingles increased with age as olderindividuals' immune systems declined. However, Goldman's new research showsthis phenomenon seemed primarily due to the fact that older people receivedfewer natural boosts to immunity as their contacts with young childrendeclined. Gary S. Goldman, Ph.D. served for eight years as a Research Analyst withthe Varicella Active Surveillance Project conducted by the Los AngelesCounty Department of Health Services (LACDHS). The project was funded by theCDC.Contacts: Gary S. Goldman, Ph.D. Phone 661-944-5661; Fax: 661-944-4483;Email: pearblossomincAbout Gary S. Goldman, Ph.D.: Currently serves as Founder andEditor-in-Chief of the peer-reviewed medical journal Medical Veritas(www.MedicalVeritas.com). Has recently authored five manuscripts concerningvaricella, herpes zoster, and capture-recapture published in the Europeanjournal called Vaccine.Research published in the International Journal of Toxicology,24(4):205-213, Universal Varicella Vaccination: Efficacy Trends and Effecton Herpes Zoster. Also, Vaccine, 23(25):3349-3355, Cost-benefit analysis ofuniversal varicella vaccination in the U.S. taking into account the closelyrelated herpes zoster epidemiology.