OP-6 Vaccination against shingles and prevention of long-term ocular morbidity – a retrospective study of cost implications to the NHS
Year: 2025
Type: conference-abstract
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Introduction Shingles is caused by reactivation of latent Herpes varicella-zoster virus (VZV). Herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) is defined as shingles involving the ophthalmic division of the trigeminal nerve. A national public sector shingles vaccination program was introduced in the UK in 2013 offering vaccination to those over 70 years. From 1st September 2023, the age for vaccination has been reduced to 65 years. Vaccination has been available to those aged 50y and over in the private health sector in the UK.Methods We undertook a retrospective study determining the number of patients aged 50-69y who had attended our hospital with HZO from 1st April 2022 to 30th June 2024. We determined how many were affected with long term ocular sequelae of this infection and the subsequent costs to the NHS.Results Our study shows that during this 27-month period, we had a total of 48 cases of HZO, with 9 patients (18.8%/1 in 5) going on to develop long-term ocular complications requiring multiple hospital attendances; of these, 44.4% of patients had long-term corneal associated pathology. The total cost of treatment to the NHS of these cases was £41,671.Conclusions We concluded that for the cost of treatment of these 48 patients by hospital eye services, a total of 340 patients could have been vaccinated against shingles (seven times the number of affected patients). Although further study is required, it would seem advisable in terms of the cost benefit ratio, to reduce the age of vaccination against shingles of patients down to 50 years.
Authors: Bita Manzouri, Alice Ditchfield, Mana Rahimzadeh
Institution: Queen's Hospital
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W4412406644