Table 1.

Herpes Zoster Vaccines Licensed in the United States

Characteristic	ZOSTAVAX (Zoster Vaccine Live; Merck)	SHINGRIX (Recombinant Zoster Vaccine; GlaxoSmithKline)
Vaccine type	Live-attenuated VZV (Oka/Merck); ≥19 400 PFU	Recombinant VZV gE, adjuvanted
Vaccine composition	Two components: 1. lyophilized vaccine 2. sterile diluent	Two components: 1. lyophilized gE antigen 2. AS01B adjuvant suspension
Storage	−50°C to −15°C	+2°C to +8°C
Shelf life	18 months from the date of manufacture of the final filled container when stored at ≤ −15°C	36 months from the date of manufacture when stored at +2°C to +8°C
Dosage and administration	1 dose SQ in deltoid region of upper arm; 0.65 mL/dose	2 doses IM in deltoid region of the upper arm, 2 to 6 months apart; 0.5 mL/dose
Reactogenicity	Low	High
Overall efficacy against incidence of HZ	51.3%	97.2%
Overall efficacy against incidence of PHN	66.5%	91.2%
Persistence of protection against HZ	Up to 8 years	≥10 years (studied up to 10 years)
FDA approval	May 25, 2006 for adults aged ≥60 yoa; March 24, 2011 for adults aged 50–59 yoa	October 20, 2017 for adults aged ≥50 yoaJuly 23, 2021 for adults ≥18 yoa who are or will be at increased risk of HZ due to immunodeficiency or immunosuppression caused by known disease or therapy
ACIP recommendations	For use in immunocompetent adults aged ≥60 years	(1) For use in immunocompetent adults aged ≥50 yoa; (2) For use in immunocompetent adults aged ≥50 yoa who previously received ZOSTAVAX; (3) Preferred over ZOSTAVAX. Should wait at least 8 weeks if previously administered ZOSTAVAX.

Abbreviations: ACIP, Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices; FDA, US Food and Drug Administration; gE, glycoprotein E; HZ, herpes zoster; IM, intramuscular; PFU, plaque-forming units; PHN, postherpetic neuralgia; SQ, subcutaneous; VZV, varicella-zoster virus; yoa, years of age.