IT’S a unique public health conundrum,and a stark reminder of how difficult it is to eliminate even the most mundane diseases. As more countries start to vaccinate against chickenpox, they will unwittingly encourage the spread of shingles, which mainly afflicts older people.
In the US, most children are vaccinated against chickenpox. Canada is poised to follow, and several other countries, including Australia, are considering vaccination. But there’s a catch: it turns out that stopping chickenpox in children means that millions of adults will develop shingles in later life.
After a bout of chickenpox, the virus remains lurking inside the…
