Shingrix versus Zostavax ! Which one is Better ?

Shingrix and Zostavax, both are vaccines to prevent Herpes Zoster (Shingles). Zostavax is an older vaccine while Shingrix is latest and a topic of discussion in medical community. Here are providing some basic facts about these two vaccines for same disease. After reading facts given in the table below you can decide it yourself that which one is better.

This collection of facts given below is not a medical advice by a doctor. So if you are going to get a Herpes Zoster Vaccine in near future then it better to consult your doctor regarding this thing.

Shingrix versus Zostavax

	Zostavax	Shingrix
Manufacturer	Merck	GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
Releasing Date	2006	Expected in 2017
Trial Results	Reduced appearance of Shingles by 70% in 50-59 Years Age Group, 64% in 60-69 Years, and 38% in above 70 Years.	97% protection in all age group above 50 Years.
Vaccination Age	CDC suggests that this vaccine should be taken after attaining the age of 60 Years	According to GSK you may take this vaccine after 50 Years of age.
Dosage	Its a single dose vaccine given in one shot	This vaccine is given in two doses with an interval of 2 to 6 months.
How does it work	Live attenuated virus of chicken pox is used in this vaccine to make our immune system create antibodies to fight against Herpes Zoster.	It uses only the antigens in the virus that stimulate the immune system.
Booster Dose	There is no booster dose of Zostavax. The effect of this vaccine fades away with time and does not provide any protection after 8 years. However some studies have shown that booster dose of Zostavax is safe for people over 70 years of age, only if they were not vaccinated in past 10 years.	Studies are going on to find if people vaccinated with Zostavax or Shingrix can get a booster dose of Shingrix or not. It will take some time for these studies to conclude as it is a new vaccine.