Shingles Information for Health Professionals

On this page:
Shingles in health care settings
Clinical features and epidemiology
Laboratory testing
Reporting
Vaccine information
ACIP Recommendations and MMWR reports

Shingles in health care settings

• Managing Herpes Zoster (Shingles) Exposures in Health Care Settings
  Quick reference for managing exposures to zoster in health care settings.

Clinical features and epidemiology

• CDC: Clinical Overview of Shingles (Herpes Zoster)
  Information from the CDC for health care professionals about shingles (herpes zoster).
• CDC: Chapter 22: Varicella
  Varicella chapter in the CDC's Pink Book on vaccine-preventable diseases includes information on herpes zoster, the recurrent varicella infection known as shingles.
• CDC: Photos of Shingles
  CDC offers photos of the disease and people affected by the disease. Warning: graphic medical images.

Laboratory testing

Health care providers should confirm all suspected cases of shingles in children younger than age 18 years by sending a skin swab or scab to the MDH Public Health laboratory (PHL) for testing. Providers should also send all positive varicella-zoster virus (VZV) specimens obtained from individuals with severe zoster disease, regardless of age, so strain typing can be performed.

• Laboratory Testing for Varicella (Chickenpox) and Zoster (Shingles)
  Information on when and how to test for zoster disease.

Reporting

• Reporting Zoster (Shingles)
  All cases of zoster (shingles) disease in children under 18 years of age and cases of severe or unusual zoster must be reported to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). Find out what needs to be reported, who needs to report diseases, which forms to use and where to find out more about the disease.

Vaccine information

• CDC: ACIP Vaccine Recommendations: Zoster (Shingles) Vaccine
  Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
• CDC: Shingles (Herpes Zoster) Vaccination Information for Healthcare Providers
  Information from CDC on vaccination for health care providers.
• Immunize.org: Ask the Experts: Zoster (shingles)
  Experts from the CDC answer challenging questions about vaccines and their administration.

ACIP Recommendations and MMWR reports

• ACIP Recommendations: Zoster (Shingles) Vaccine
  Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).