Varicella vaccination in a patient with recurrent genital herpes

Dear Editor, A 26-year-old woman consented to take part in an ongoing, case–control study investigating whether varicella-zoster virus (VZV) IgG titres are associated with the likelihood of experiencing symptomatic Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) infection. The study is to inform future research on using vaccination against VZV as a pathway to a possible HSV functional cure. She had an 8-year history of recurring genital herpes, with an average of two episodes per month. At the last recurrence, a genital swab was positive for HSV-2. Type-specific serology indicated the presence of both HSV-1 and HSV-2 IgG. HIV antibodies were negative. The VZV IgG titre was 598 mIU/mL. The patient received acyclovir (400 mg three times a day) for 5 days and declined ongoing suppressive antiviral therapy. She was interested in the concept of our study and 1 month later independently obtained a first dose of the live attenuated varicella vaccine (Varilrix) from a pharmacy,...
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Tags: PostScript Source Type: research