The Shingles Prevention Study, a randomized, double-blind U.S. study of 38,546 adults ages 60 or older, provided data for this analysis of the effectiveness of the zoster vaccine on shingles-related interference with quality of life and activities of daily living (ADLs). Half the study participants received the zoster vaccine (n = 19,270) and the other half a placebo injection (n = 19,276); all were educated about the symptoms of shingles (also called herpes zoster) and told to contact the study site if they experienced pain or a rash. Overall, there were 957 evaluable cases of shingles, most of which (642) occurred in the placebo group.

Among the total population, shingles' burden in interfering with ADLs was lower in the zoster vaccine group, who had a 67% lower score on the Zoster Brief Pain Inventory (ZBPI) ADL Burden of Interference scale. Similarly, based on medical and physical components of the Medical Outcomes Study 12-item Short Form Survey, the zoster vaccine reduced the effect of shingles on both physical and mental health-related quality of life by 55%.

Of the participants who contracted shingles, a slightly larger percentage in the placebo group than in the vaccine group reported ZBPI interference scores greater than or equal to 3 (which was considered clinically significant). Participants who received the vaccine had 29% lower ZBPI ADL Burden of Interference scores. In contrast, the vaccine had little effect on health-related quality of life among those who acquired shingles.

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