Strategies for herpes zoster vaccination of immunocompromised patients

A vaccine to prevent herpes zoster (HZ) in adults > or =60 years of age with healthy immune systems was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. This vaccine is contraindicated in persons with certain immunodeficiency states or who are receiving immunosuppressive therapy. On the basis of studies of the varicella vaccine in healthy and immunosuppressed children and studies of HZ vaccine in healthy adults before its licensure, a series of strategies are proposed for evaluating the live HZ vaccine in immunosuppressed persons. In addition, the use of other vaccines, including heat-inactivated or replication-defective varicella-zoster virus to prevent HZ in immunocompromised persons, is also discussed.