Vaccine reduces shingles outbreaks

A vaccine aimed at preventing the outbreak of shingles, a painful virus that strikes many older people, is available now to the public.

The federal Food and Drug Administration last month licensed Zostavax, a new vaccine that reduces the risk of herpes zoster, the virus that causes shingles.

The Panhandle Health District in North Idaho expects to receive its first shipment of Zostavax soon, said Susan Cuff, the agency’s spokeswoman. The Spokane Regional Health District will consider adding the vaccine to the list of those offered at a meeting next week, said spokeswoman Julie Graham.

Shingles is a painful condition caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox in children. Once a person has had chickenpox, the virus remains dormant in nerve cells along the spinal cord, according to information from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As people age – or when their systems are stressed by other factors – the virus can become reactivated, appearing as shingles.

Outbreaks begin with pain and itching, followed by a blistered rash. The blisters develop into oozing sores that eventually crust over. The clusters of blisters often form on one side of the body, causing pain that can last for weeks, months or years after an outbreak.

Zostavax, a live virus vaccine manufactured by Merck, was demonstrated to boost immunity against the virus. It’s given as a single injection under the skin, usually in the upper arm. A five-year study of more than 38,000 people nationwide found that the drug reduced the incidence of shingles by more than 50 percent.

Idaho residents older than age 60 who are interested in the vaccine should contact the Panhandle Health District at (208) 415-5270 for an appointment. People under age 60 must have a doctor’s order to receive the vaccine.

Spokane-area residents should contact their doctors for more information about the product.

WSU researcher named recipient of $75,000 Eagles gift

A cancer researcher at Washington State University will use a $75,000 gift from the Fraternal Order of Eagles in hopes of discovering new information about how two altered proteins contribute to breast cancer.

Researcher John J. Wyrick will use state-of-the-art gene technology to advance study of potential causes of breast cancer, university officials said in a statement. Any new information could lead to expanded funding that may involve other proteins and other types of cancer.

Wyrick’s project was among eight applicants for the Eagles gift. The organization spent a year raising funds for worthy projects. The group’s national organization contributed $15,000 to the project.

Wyrick previously assisted in developing an experimental method of mapping altered proteins of human cells. He’ll use this method for the first time to map proteins in cancer cells. The method uses Gene Chip technology, which allows a researcher to monitor and measure changes in a large number of genes.

Wyrick is an assistant professor of molecular biology and a member of the WSU College of Pharmacy’s Cancer Prevention and Research Center. He’ll collaborate on this project with molecular biology professor Raymond Reeves.

For more information about WSU’s cancer center, visit www.cancer.wsu.edu.

Kids from Coeur d’Alene design T-shirts for breast cancer cure

Two budding artists from North Idaho have been named winners of the 2006 Kids for the Cure T-shirt contest held by the Coeur d’Alene affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Laurin Pershern, 10, from Winton Elementary, was awarded top honor for his design, which features a hiker toting a pink ribbon satchel over his shoulder. Laurin’s design will be used on all youth T-shirts for this year’s Race for the Cure, an annual event that raises money to fight breast cancer. Laurin has volunteered for four years at the Komen Coeur d’Alene event.

Bryson Peterson, 11, from Atlas Elementary, was named runner up. His design features brightly colored runners on a racetrack with the phrase: “Stay in the race and never give up.” Bryson’s family has been affected by breast cancer, which prompted his participation.

The seventh annual Komen Coeur d’Alene Race for the Cure is scheduled for Sept. 24, at North Idaho College. For more information, go to www.cdakomen.org or call (208) 665-9888.