FDA Approves New Shingles Vaccine That Is More Than 90% Effective

BOSTON (CBS) - There's a new shingles vaccine in town. Shingrix was approved by the FDA last week, and a CDC advisory panel just voted to recommend it for patients 50 and older.

It is given as two injections two to six months apart, and in studies the vaccine was found to be more than 90% effective.

Shingrix is not the only shingles vaccine available. Zostavax has been around for more than a decade, but it may not be as effective as this new vaccine, especially in older patients.

Vaccine experts are not only recommending the new vaccine for people who have never been vaccinated but say that people who got the old shingles vaccine should get this new one as well.

Shingles is a painful, itchy rash that can last for several weeks an in a small percentage of patients can lead to chronic pain. About a third of americans will develop shingles in their lifetime.