Session A

Shingles Vaccines in Canada: What Does the Evidence Tell Us?

Tim Hilderman, MD FRCPC, Medical Lead, Vaccines at Manitoba Health, Medical Officer of Health, Interlake Eastern Regional Health Authority, Medical Director of Interlake Eastern Travel Health Services and Assistant Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba

Dr. Tim Hilderman practiced family medicine in rural Manitoba for a decade before entering specialty training in public health and preventive medicine at the University of Manitoba.  Tim is the medical lead for vaccines at Manitoba Health, a Medical Officer of Health in the Interlake Eastern Regional Health Authority, Medical Director of Interlake Eastern Travel Health Services and an Assistant Professor in the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Health Sciences.  He is active in vaccine and communicable disease control research.

Session 

In late 2017, Health Canada’s Biologics and Genetic Therapies Directorate approved a new Herpes Zoster vaccine (non-live recombinant, AS01B adjuvanted) for the prevention of Shingles.  This first in world license gave Canadian immunization providers and their patients an alternative to the previously approved live, attenuated Herpes Zoster vaccine.  As expected, there are pros and cons associated with each vaccine and this creates an interesting challenge for providers in terms of recommendations to clients.  The natural history and epidemiology of reactivated varicella infection and its complications will be reviewed and the evidence around the safety and effectiveness of the two approved vaccines will be explored with a view to giving providers an approach to Herpes Zoster Vaccines in day to day practice.

This session has received an Independent Education Grant from GSK