Table 4.
Causes of death for reports of death following zoster vaccine live (VZL) in VAERS, May 2006–January 2015.1,2
| Cause of death | n (%) |
|---|---|
| Heart disease3 | 28 (61) |
| Sepsis (other bacterial diseases) | 4 (9) |
| Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases) | 3 (7) |
| Acute kidney failure and chronic kidney disease | 2 (4) |
| Aortic aneurysm (diseases of arteries, arterioles and capillaries) | 2 (4) |
| Acute pancreatitis | 1 (2) |
| Cancer (female breast inflammatory cancer) | 1 (2) |
| Gastrointestinal hemorrhage | 1 (2) |
| Hypertensive heart disease | 1 (2) |
| Leukocytosis, unspecified | 1 (2) |
| Unspecified viral encephalitis4 | 1 (2) |
| Urosepsis | 1 (2) |
| Total | 46 |
1
Of the 74 reports of death following ZVL, sufficient information was available in 46 reports from a death certificate, autopsy report, or medical record to confirm a death and determine cause.
2
All death reports were reviewed by a board certified pathologist.
3
Includes acute myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, cardiorespiratory failure, and coronary artery disease.
4
No herpes simplex virus or varicella zoster virus isolated from cerebrospinal fluid.