Zalecenia w zakresie profilaktyki półpaśca u biorców przeszczepów narządów litych w Polsce

Abstract

Herpes zoster (i.e. shingles) is a widespread infectious disease caused by reactivation of the varicellazoster virus. Although the cutaneous manifestation of the disease is the most common, shingles is also associated with numerous complications, e.g. neurological, including postherpetic neuralgia. It is estimated that one-third of the general population will develop herpes zoster during their lifetime, and the incidence in solid organ recipients is even higher. What is more transplant recipients are more likely to suffer from severe complications of the disease. The most effective method of preventing herpes zoster is vaccination. The only vaccine recommended and available in Poland is recombinant adjuvanted zoster vaccine. Its safety and effectiveness were demonstrated in both the general adult population and solid organ recipients. In this article, we present the position of experts in transplantation and infectious diseases on herpes zoster prevention in the solid organ transplant recipient population. The group includes kidney, liver, lung, and heart recipients