Kersten Bartelt

“People should continue to follow established vaccine recommendations and talk with their clinician about the shingles vaccine when they're eligible,”

Kersten Bartelt · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-07

Bartelt advised people to follow established vaccine recommendations and discuss the shingles vaccine with their clinician when eligible.

“which is something continued follow-up and research will clarify,”

Kersten Bartelt · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-07

Bartelt added that continued follow-up and research will clarify whether childhood chickenpox vaccination offers a lasting benefit in reducing shingles.

“This is the pattern we would expect if childhood chickenpox vaccination lowers the risk of developing shingles later in life.”

Kersten Bartelt · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-07

Bartelt said this pattern is consistent with childhood chickenpox vaccination lowering the risk of developing shingles later in life.

“It's also a reminder that shingles can occur in younger adults, so anyone with a painful, blistering rash should seek timely evaluation.”

Kersten Bartelt · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-07

Bartelt reminded readers that shingles can occur in younger adults and urged anyone with a painful, blistering rash to seek timely evaluation.

“Shingles diagnoses rise steeply with age, but the newer signal is a sharp drop that begins with people who were eligible for the childhood chickenpox vaccine in the mid-1990s,”

Kersten Bartelt · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-07

Bartelt described the study's finding that shingles diagnosis rates dropped sharply beginning with people eligible for the childhood chickenpox vaccine in the mid-1990s.

“This is a descriptive, observational study, so it shows associations rather than cause and effect,”

Kersten Bartelt · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-07

Bartelt acknowledged the study's observational nature means it shows associations rather than cause and effect.