Drug Database: Zoster Vaccine Recombinant, Adjuvanted

What is Shingrix?

Shingrix is a vaccine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prevent herpes zoster (shingles) in adults 50 years of age and older and in adults 18 years of age and older who are or will be at increased risk of getting shingles due to immunodeficiency or immunosuppression caused by disease or treatment.

Herpes zoster occurs when latent (inactive) varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection becomes reactivated in the body. VZV infection can be an opportunistic infection (OI) of HIV. An OI is an infection that occurs more frequently or is more severe in people with weakened immune systems—such as people with HIV—than in people with healthy immune systems. To learn more about OIs, read the HIVinfo What is an Opportunistic Infection? fact sheet.

The Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIV include recommendations on the use of Shingrix in people with HIV.

What should I tell my health care provider before receiving Shingrix?

Before receiving Shingrix, tell your health care provider:

• If you are allergic to any ingredients in Shingrix or any medicines. Tell your health care provider if you have ever had any reactions to a previous dose of the Shingrix vaccine.
• About any medical conditions you have or have had.
• About any health conditions that may prevent you from receiving medicine by injection.
• If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Talk to your health care provider about the risks and benefits of receiving Shingrix during pregnancy. The Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIV may include other recommendations on the use of Shingrix during pregnancy. Please refer to these guidelines for additional information.
• If you are breast/chestfeeding or plan to breast/chestfeed. For people with HIV in the United States, the Guideline recommends speaking with your health care provider to discuss options for feeding your baby. People with suppressed viral load have a less than 1% chance of transmitting HIV to their baby via their own milk.
• About other prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Shingrix may affect the way other medicines or products work, and other medicines or products may affect how Shingrix works. Ask your health care provider if there are interactions between Shingrix and the medicines you take.

Ask your health care provider about possible side effects from getting a Shingrix vaccine. Your health care provider will tell you what to do if you have side effects.

How is Shingrix given?

A health care provider gives the Shingrix vaccine. The vaccine is given as an intramuscular injection. Vaccination with Shingrix is usually given as a series of two vaccine shots, with an interval between each dose. Read any printed information that your health care provider gives you about the Shingrix vaccine.

Where can I find more information about Shingrix vaccines?

• Recommendations on the use of Shingrix vaccines in people with HIV, from the Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIV.
• This Patient Version drug summary is based on the following FDA label(s): Injection. The Patient Counseling Information section of the label includes information for people receiving Shingrix.
• The American Hospital Formulary Service (AHFS) Patient Medication Information for recombinant zoster (shingles) vaccine (RZV) available from MedlinePlus.
• Shingrix-related research studies, from ClinicalTrials.gov. (The ClinicalTrials.gov search can be modified so that you can get results that better match your interests.)