September 1, 2023
University of Tsukuba
Keio University School of Medicine
Shingles is a skin disease caused by the same virus as chickenpox, and aging is a major risk factor. With Japan's aging population, the number of cases is on the rise, and it is said that approximately one in three people will develop the disease by the age of 80. Although the shingles vaccine (live attenuated varicella vaccine) became available in Japan in 2016, the current vaccination rate remains very low.
Multiple studies on vaccines such as the pneumococcal and influenza vaccines have revealed that vaccination rates are higher among patients who receive more comprehensive services in primary care, the general medical care patients first receive. However, for the shingles vaccine, there have been no studies to date that identify the factors influencing vaccination or investigate the relationship with the quality of primary care.
Therefore, this study examined the association between patient experience (PX)—one indicator of the quality of primary care, referring to the events a patient experiences within primary care—and shingles vaccine (live attenuated varicella vaccine) vaccination among elderly individuals aged 65 and over who regularly receive primary care.
The results showed that patients with a high PX, meaning those who receive better quality services in primary care, were more likely to actually get vaccinated when a physician recommended the shingles vaccine.
This study alone cannot directly prove a causal relationship. However, it suggests that shingles vaccination rates may be improved if physicians encourage vaccination after ensuring that patients receive the necessary services in primary care.
For the full press release, please see below.