Varivax Vaccine helps to limit outbreaks?

[ZealousidealAide7Participant]

I have had oral HSV 1 or 2 (not sure which it is) for 14 years. My first out break I got very sick and had a very bad outbreak, even my doctor commented on how it was much worse that the average person’s first outbreak. Since, I have always had about 10-12 very minor outbreaks a year, even while taking valtrex daily for suppression. I seem to be healthy otherwise (have had blood work recently). I decided to try the varivax vaccine because I read people have had success with it limiting cold sore outbreaks. I had chickenpox as a child though.

I got the vaccine and stopped taking valtrex for 18 days. I read valtrex would mess with the vaccines effectiveness. I had my worse outbreak in years. I have a few questions for you…

1.) Do you think the vaccine COULD (I know there is not a ton of proof) improve my situation long term?

2.) I am sure you have seen this study about the vaccine preventing outbreaks. Does this seem legitimate? https://www.dovepress.com/efficacy-of-the-anti-vzv-anti-hsv3-vaccine-in-hsv1-and-hsv2-recurrent–peer-reviewed-article-OAJCT

3.) Do you think taking valtrex after 18 days made this not work as well? I read antibodies peak 14 days after a vaccine, but I didn’t know if the body kept producing them after that, and if the valtrex stopped that.

4.) What are your thoughts on Amenamevir (recently released in Japan and on FDA fast track in the US) as the future of HSV treatment? Thank you!

[Terri WarrenKeymaster]

1.) Do you think the vaccine COULD (I know there is not a ton of proof) improve my situation long term?

No.

2.) I am sure you have seen this study about the vaccine preventing outbreaks. Does this seem legitimate?
Your link did not work, but this has been looked at previously has not been shown to be helpful in treating herpes simplex virus.

3.) Do you think taking valtrex after 18 days made this not work as well? I read antibodies peak 14 days after a vaccine, but I didn’t know if the body kept producing them after that, and if the valtrex stopped that.

Again, there should be no impact on herpes simplex virus from the varivax vaccine. They are both in the same family, that’s where the similarity ends.

4.) What are your thoughts on Amenamevir (recently released in Japan and on FDA fast track in the US) as the future of HSV treatment? Thank you!

I am not aware that this drug is being fast tracked in the US. In the studies of this helicase-primase inhibitor for varicella zoster, there was no difference in efficacy between this and valacyclovir. I don’t have enough information to make a definitive statement about this.

Terri

[ZealousidealAide7Participant]

Hi Terri,

Can you please copy and paste this study link into your url? It says the vaccine has been proven to be effective for herpes. If you could share with me the studies that say it is not effective, I would appreciate it 🙂

https://www.dovepress.com/efficacy-of-the-anti-vzv-anti-hsv3-vaccine-in-hsv1-and-hsv2-recurrent–peer-reviewed-article-OAJCT

[Terri WarrenKeymaster]

This is the only study that I am aware of finding this result. It was not a double blind, randomized trial which is important in understand the value of this treatment. It was also a very small number of patients and honestly, I find it difficult to believe that not one of these people had a single outbreak during the study, for six years, either oral or genital.

Terri

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