(MENAFN- Gulf Times) The Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) has announced the availability of the Herpes Zoster Vaccine across all its health centres, free of charge for citizens and residents.
The herpes zoster virus typically appears as a painful rash with fluid-filled blisters that develop in a localised area of the skin following the path of a single nerve. In nearly 80% of cases, symptoms such as tingling, itching, or a burning sensation appear a few days before the rash develops. These symptoms tend to be more severe in individuals with weakened immune systems.
Dr Rand Aboud, family medicine specialist at PHCC's Omar Bin Al Khattab Health Centre, explained that herpes zoster often causes intense, burning pain that can significantly affect a person's quality of life.“One in three people will develop herpes zoster at some point in their lifetime,” she said,“and the risk increases substantially after the age of 50.”
The condition results from the reactivation of the chickenpox virus, which remains dormant in the body after an initial infection during childhood. A person with active herpes zoster can transmit the virus to someone who has never had chickenpox or its vaccine in which case, that person will develop chickenpox, not herpes zoster.
The infection is no longer contagious once the blisters have dried and formed scabs.
According to Dr Aboud, the likelihood of developing herpes zoster is higher among individuals over the age of 50; those with weakened immune systems (such as cancer patients, individuals with HIV, organ transplant recipients, or those receiving immunosuppressive therapy) and people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, lung disease, or kidney failure.
Herpes zoster can lead to serious complications, especially among older adults. The most common is post-herpetic neuralgia - persistent nerve pain that affects 10–18% of patients, even after the rash has healed. Other possible complications include vision or hearing problems, facial paralysis, skin infections, or in rare cases, inflammation of the brain.
Dr Aboud emphasised the importance of vaccination as a safe and effective way to prevent herpes zoster and its painful complications.
The vaccine is administered in two doses after consulting a family physician, and provides more than 90% protection against herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia in healthy adults, and 70-90% protection for those with weakened immunity. The vaccine used in Qatar is non-live and safe, with minimal side effects.
Vaccination is recommended for adults aged 50 years and above, regardless of previous chickenpox or herpes zoster infection. And adults aged 18 years and above who are at higher risk due to chronic conditions or weakened immunity.
Even those who have previously had herpes zoster are advised to get vaccinated after full recovery, as it reduces the risk of recurrence and future complications.
Side effects of the vaccine are generally mild and short-lived, and may include slight fever, headache, fatigue, nausea, muscle pain, or redness at the injection site. In rare cases, allergic reactions, swollen glands, or more serious symptoms may occur.

MENAFN03112025000067011011ID1110290240