• Vaccine Name: Zostavax
• Target Pathogen: Varicella-zoster virus
• Target Disease: chickenpox / shingles
• Product Name: Zoster Vaccine, Live, (Oka/Merck)
• Tradename: Zostavax
• Manufacturer: Merck & Co., Inc.
• Vaccine Ontology ID: VO_0000124
• CDC CVX code: 121
• Type: Live, attenuated vaccine
• Status: Licensed
• Location Licensed: USA (License #0002)
• Host Species for Licensed Use: Human
• Antigen: live, attenuated varicella-zoster virus (Oka/Merck)
• Preparation: ZOSTAVAX is a lyophilized preparation of live, attenuated varicella-zoster virus (Oka/Merck) to be reconstituted with sterile diluent to give a single dose suspension with a minimum of 19,400 PFU (plaque forming units) when stored at room temperature for up to 30 minutes (FDA: Zostavax).
• Storage: ZOSTAVAX SHOULD BE stored FROZEN at an average temperature of -15°C (+5°F) or colder.
• Approved Age for Licensed Use: 60 years and older
• Contraindication: Should not be administered to anyone with known anaphylactic/anaphylactoid reaction to gelatin, neomycin, or any other component of the vaccine. The vaccine should also not be administered to women of child-bearing age or to pregnant women (FDA: Zostavax).
• Description: Indication: Prevention of herpes zoster (shingles) in individuals 60 years of age and older when administered as a single-dose (FDA: Zostavax).

Human Response

• Side Effects: The most common side effects reported included headache and injection site reactions (FDA: Zostavax).
• Efficacy: According to clinical studies, ZOSTAVAX significantly reduced the risk of developing zoster when compared with placebo. Vaccine efficacy for the prevention of herpes-zoster (HZ) was highest for those subjects 60-69
  years of age and declined with increasing age (FDA: Zostavax).