GSK has revealed new data from an online global survey, which shows a large number of adults do not understand how shingles may be triggered among those aged 50 and over who are at risk of the disease.
Affecting up to one in three people in their lifetime, shingles is a common but serious condition resulting from the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) that causes chickenpox, causing long-lasting pain and other complications.
Conducted by Pollfish between 16 to 18 August 2023, the Shingles Misconception Survey commissioned and funded by GSK surveyed 3,500 adults aged 50 and over across 12 countries to assess their understanding of shingles, what may trigger the disease and how it impacts people’s lives.
Collated from 18 questions covering shingles awareness and misconceptions, approximately 55% of respondents believe that shingles can be caught from someone else with the disease.
Shingles is caused by the VZV already residing in the person and remaining dormant within the nervous system, which reactivates with advancing age.
Additionally, the survey also revealed that 39% of respondents believe that you cannot develop shingles if you have already had the disease.
As VZV is present in most adults by age 50, the majority of people who develop shingles only have it once. However, it is possible to develop shingles more than once.
As well as this, the survey also investigated where respondents seek health-related information. It revealed that 40% of adults aged 50 and over turn to social media, as well as Google, as opposed to reaching out to their doctors.
From September 2022 to September 2023, there was a 70% increase in the number of Google searches in relation to whether shingles were contagious by touch or airborne.
Piyali Mukherjee, vice president and head of global medical affairs, vaccines, GSK, said that results from the survey “emphasise a continuing need for enhanced awareness for this condition”.
She added: “We encourage all adults over 50 to approach their healthcare professionals for guidance on how to recognise, understand and reduce their risk of developing this debilitating disease.”