Category: News

The question “does the shingles vaccine help with herpes simplex” is perhaps relevant. Herpes zoster is the medical name for shingles, or it can be called humanherpes virus ‘type 3’. It is enough like herpes simplex, that it is treated with aciclovir or other antiviral drug. If you do think you may have shingles, it is important to get the drug for shingles very quickly, within 3 days. Only prompt treatment will help control the duration of symptoms.

Shingles is the name for a recurrence of chickenpox (herpes varicella). Following infection, chickenpox virus remains in the body, hiding in neural ganglions. Shingles can happen when you are run down, ill, stressed, or following a physical or emotional trauma (a fall or the loss of a loved on). Although chickenpox affected the whole body, luckily shingles just appears in one small area, usually the back or chest. See more on our Shingles Support Society website.

A vaccine for shingles, Zostavax, is been provided to people in their 70s for the last ten years. This is because in older people the is a greater risk that nerve pain will continue after the shingles blisters have cleared up. So plenty of people who get repeated herpes simplex symptoms will have benefitted from Zostavax. If it does help control herpes simplex virus, these people will have noticed that their recurrences have stopped.

Some people have found it helps

And we have indeed had people tell us that following the shingles vaccine, their herpes simplex symptoms are noticeably less frequent (or have stopped). Now, that could just be coincidence. We know that over time, recurrences are expected to become less frequent. But it is nice to think that the shingles (herpes zoster) vaccine is helpful against herpes simplex.

Let us know (at [email protected]) if you notice that you are having more outbreaks since Zostavax, or fewer…

In any case, if you are offered the shingles vaccine – take it!

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A story in the Daily Express on 2^nd August 2022 described how a facial infection can reactivate in the eye. This ocular herpes needs to be treated.

“Ocular herpes usually occurs when a previous infection with the virus reactivates and spreads to the eye. Most people will catch the herpes simplex virus as children, but will not notice it as there are often no symptoms.”

Last year, our trial volunteers took part in a scientifically run placebo-controlled, double-blind trial to see if the ‘EBDT powders’ from Vimuneco would improve their immune response so that they stopped getting outbreaks. The trial showed it had a minor effect, but the powders were very hard to use: they had to be absorbed under the tongue.

New trial

The company has reformulated the treatment as a liquid and there are still some places still available on the trial, so you can take part. You won’t know if you are using the placebo or the ‘real thing’ during the trial. But you won’t miss out as afterwards you will be offered the ‘real thing.’

Send an email to [email protected] if you would like to take part.

We are getting a lot of calls about herpes medication and the COVID vaccines. (And see lower down for the Covid vaccine and a herpes simplex outbreak.)

Even if have a herpes outbreak, can I have the vaccine?

Short answer: Yes you can.

Longer answer… A herpes simplex outbreak (a ‘cold sore’) is minor problem for the body to deal with. It can certainly manage to control the outbreak and deal with the new ‘flu vaccine’ that is the Covid vaccine.

It is generally said that being unwell is meant to be a trigger factor for an outbreak. This is where the names cold sores or fever blisters come from – people noticed they pop out when a person is unwell. Most interestingly we know of people who get a lot of outbreaks but no colds or flu, while people around them are getting these ‘normal’ illnesses.

It is perfectly safe. We recommend that people with herpes have the COVID vaccine – or any vaccines offered. Do the best for yourself, get yourself protected against COVID: a serious, life-threatening virus. The vaccines approved for use in UK do not contain egg or any other animal products. Like the antiviral drugs for herpes, all the vaccines are safe for any religious group.

“Having had herpes is not a contraindication for COVID vaccination. As most of the population have been infected with herpes type one or type 2 if there were any complication, we would have seen it by now. There is no scientific basis for thinking there would be any problem. Indeed, I had my first Covid jab yesterday. My past history of oral herpes type one (‘cold sores’) did not concern me.” Professor Colm O’Mahony MD. FRCP. BSc. DipVen.

Because ‘everyone’ has herpes they can have the COVID vaccine.

Well over half the adult population has herpes simplex, though most don’t know it. The NHS wants everyone, regardless of whether or not they get cold sores on face, fingers or genitals to be vaccinated. Take advantage of these medical breakthroughs. They have been subjected to meticulously conducted clinical trials. Such clinical trials are essential to test the safety and effectiveness of experimental treatments and vaccines. (I’ve just received either a vaccine or a salt water injection. I’m taking part in a trial for Novovax.)

After a promising therapy is developed in a lab, it goes through three separate studies to ensure that it won’t cause any serious harm and will be of real medical benefit. Only if it passes all three stages is any new therapy evaluated by a group of independent experts. They assess if it’s safe and effective and can receive a licence for use in the general public. The Novovax vaccine is now on the verge of such approval.

Marian is taking part in a COVID vaccine trial

By the time I joined the trial, the study was already in its final ‘phase 3’ research involving over 15,203 volunteers recruited in record time. The participants were divided at random into two equal groups. Researchers made sure the composition of the groups was comparable in terms of age, gender, race and underlying health conditions. One group received the experimental vaccine and the other a placebo. (A dummy therapy, in this case salt water). Rates of side effects and COVID were then compared between the two groups. At the outset, the researchers set strict criteria to ensure that the new treatment really if safe and works. This is so that they couldn’t be accused of moving the goal posts if their study flings up some unexpected or unwelcome findings.

If you are a person with herpes have the COVID vaccine – where it is the one from Oxford/Astra Zenaca, Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna or, when it is available, “my” Novovax vaccine!

Our patron, Professor Simon Barton, was asked to do a short talk telling doctors about genital herpes, for a conference in Bucharest. Or really, he was asked to record a short video for the IUSTI virtual conference (about 700 delegates in 46 countries). He invited Marian Nicholson, our director, and Ceri Evans, the senior health adviser from Hammersmith, to join him for this ‘lecture’. He took as the topic: how we support patients in UK. (Recording no longer available… Sorry! But we will have something new soon.)

Helpline callers often ask whether any food or vitamin can help improve resistance to herpes simplex and prevent symptoms. Despite many claims, no ‘magic’ food or vitamin is guaranteed to do this.

Now people are asking what they should eat to make sure they don’t catch Covid-19. Or if they do catch it, how they can have a milder case. Medical experts (Covid Symptoms Study) are giving the same response as us: there is no single answer.

One coronavirus expert suggested a diet that includes a wide range of foods, with brightly coloured fruit and veg, or best of all aim for a ‘Mediterranean diet’.  This is also our advice on how to reduce herpes simplex outbreaks.

As you will have seen in the news, people with serious underlying health conditions are most at risk of having a bad case of Covid-19. It is difficult, if not impossible to make a long-term health problem disappear, so what can be done? 

As you may know, people with serious underlying health conditions are more at risk from Covid-19. What can be done? 

Medical reports suggest that people with low vitamin D levels may be harder hit with Covid-19, although experts are not agreed on how much it matters and why.

We have previously written about “Vitamin D for herpes” in SPHERE 34-1. Vitamin D can be a useful supplement for immune function and to reduce outbreaks.

Dark skin? Over 65? Vitamin D is the supplement for you

You get it naturally by sitting in the sun, (but not overdoing it). For people with light skins this means around 20 minutes’ exposure between 10 am and 3 pm in the summer months. At other times of the year the sun isn’t strong enough to help much. Darker skinned people will need greater sun exposure to benefit. 

The NHS has long been advising that, amongst others, people over 65 and those with darker skin should be taking supplements of vitamin D.  Our director, Marian Nicholson, has! She takes the recommended dose of 10 mcg (400 i.u.) of vitamin D to lessen the chance of an outbreak. And it does not just help with herpes simplex, she rarely gets a cold. If she does, it is gone in a day or so.

In addition, the Department of Health and Social Care recommends a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D throughout the year if you:

•    are not often outdoors – for example, if you’re frail or housebound

•    are in an institution like a care home

•    usually wear clothes that cover up most of your skin when outdoors

•    you have dark skin – for example you have an African, African-       Caribbean or south Asian background.

So perhaps it is time you tried vitamin D too? 

The short answer is no – herpes antiviral medication will not help with flu. (This a question that we have been asked lately – of course!)

There are millions of different viruses in the world. The antiviral drugs that work to suppress herpes viruses have no impact on any of the other viruses. And this includes those that cause colds, flu and Covid-19. The antiviral medication for herpes simplex works against herpes varicella – chickenpox, but that’s it.

For more about the origins of herpes antiviral medication go to: https://herpes.org.uk/how-herpes-got-its-stigma/

Will taking antivirals make any difference to getting Covid-19?

Taking antiviral pills will make no difference to your immune response – the pills work only on the virus, not on human cells at all.

Susceptibility – should people with herpes worry more about Covid-19?

The short answer is no. (This is the other question that has come up a lot!)

At least two thirds of adults carry herpes simplex infections (facial cold sores and/or genital herpes) by age 25 – all over the world. Herpes simplex may cause symptoms in people when they are ill or stressed. But its effect on the immune system of otherwise healthy people is minimal and having herpes is not likely to make any difference to people who catch Covid-19.

People with other pre-existing conditions may be seriously affected by Covid-19. More information here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51703892   

Help research into herpes! Have you had a diagnosis of herpes simplex type 2 – but no outbreaks in the last two years? Or perhaps you have had a positive blood test for herpes simplex type 2?

A researcher at Reading’s Royal Berkshire Hospital would like a sample of your blood.

A single “tiny tube” is all they need. They are comparing antibodies in people with type 2 who do, and who don’t, get outbreaks. This could be helpful in future vaccine research. It is hoped that a vaccine could be used to treat people with too many outbreaks in order to give a “functional cure”. (This means to “take away the symptoms“.)

Trial now closed.