Shingles vaccine linked to lower heart attack, stroke risk

News brief

A new global systematic literature review and meta-analysis shows that shingles vaccination is associated with a statistically significant lower risk of heart attack and stroke, according to a study presented today at the 2025 European Society of Cardiology Congress.

The study is based on 19 studies, and the final analysis included eight observational studies and one randomized controlled trial. Across all nine studies, 53.3% of participants were male.

Overall, any herpes zoster (HZ; shingles) vaccination was associated with a significantly lower risk of stroke and heart attack versus no HZ vaccination. Among adults ages 18 to 49 and those 50 and older, vaccine effectiveness was 18% (95% confidence interval [CI], 13% to 24%) and 16% (95% CI, 13% to 18%) in preventing cardiovascular events, respectively.

More studies need to prove causality

In studies that calculated cardiovascular event absolute risk, the absolute rate difference ranged from 1.2 to 2.2 fewer events per 1,000 person-years among all vaccinated adults.

Further research studies are now needed to find out whether this association can be attributed to an effect of herpes zoster vaccination.

Charles Williams, global associate medical director, Global Medical Affairs–Vaccines at vaccine manufacturer GSK, said in a press release, “In this analysis, vaccination against herpes zoster was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks or strokes. Further research studies are now needed to find out whether this association can be attributed to an effect of herpes zoster vaccination.”

Williams said almost all studies included in the analysis were observational and can't be used to infer causality.

CARB-X funds work on rapid diagnostic platform for neonatal sepsis

News brief

Chris Dall, MA

CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator) announced today that it is awarding $2.85 million to South Korean diagnostics company QuantaMatrix Inc. to advance work on a rapid diagnostic platform for neonatal sepsis.

The funding will help QuantaMatrix apply its rapid blood culture technology, which produces antimicrobial susceptibility test results directly from positive blood cultures within hours, to a test that can diagnosis sepsis in newborns within 6 hours from very small blood samples. Existing diagnostic methods for neonatal sepsis, which progresses rapidly and requires immediate treatment with antibiotics and intravenous fluids, can take days.

Project meets rapid affordable goal

Studies estimate that 2.5 million newborns and infants each year die in the first few months of life from sepsis, with the heaviest burden seen in low- and middle-income countries. Rapid and affordable diagnostics for neonatal sepsis is one of the product themes identified by CARB-X for its 2024 funding round.

"Neonatal sepsis remains one of the most urgent diagnostic challenges due to the rapid disease progression, the time limitations of current culture-based methods, and the low sample volumes," Erin Duffy, PhD, head of research and development at CARB-X, said in a press release. "QuantaMatrix’s platform has the potential to significantly improve early intervention and survival rates."

Since its founding in 2016, CARB-X has supported 117 early-stage projects designed to prevent, treat, and diagnose antibiotic-resistant infections.