Article translated and edited by: Adisorn Suksomatthu
Reviewed and proofread by: Khomsthanon Sukajjasakul
Shared information:
There was misinformation published on the New York Post website on April 20, 2021, claiming that shingles could be a side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine. It became a viral message with hundreds of thousands of shares, likes, and comments on Facebook and Instagram combined.
Conclusion :
The patient has shingles. Must have had chicken pox or varicella virus. Zoster had only been in the body before.
Although there are reports that the immune system from the COVID-19 vaccine It may stimulate people with the virus in their body to develop shingles. But infection with the COVID-19 virus Can stimulate more shingles.
Currently able to prevent both diseases. with the chickenpox vaccine or specifically the shingles vaccine
FACT CHECK : Check the facts :
The New York Post article cited research by Furer and colleagues. Published in the medical journal Rheumatology
The aim of the resear
ch is to collect information on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. affecting patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases, in which the immune system attacks joints, muscles, bones and organs.
Although rheumatic patients are likely to experience complications from exposure to the COVID-19 virus. But information on the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine that there are still limited rheumatic patients This is because there has been no trial of the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine in rheumatic patients. During COVID-19 vaccine trials
Results of COVID-19 vaccine trials with rheumatic patients
In the experiment of Furer et al. It was found that the group of rheumatic patients who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for 6 weeks experienced 491 side effects, while the control group experienced side effects from the vaccine in 99 cases.
in the group of rheumatic patients who received the vaccine Found 6 cases of shingles, while the control group did not find a single case of shingles.
But
the New York Post newspaper reported that research confirms that the COVID-19 vaccine causes shingles It is a message that creates misunderstandings. Because people who are sick with shingles can There must be the Varicella Zoster Virus, which is the virus that causes shingles, in the body only.
Chickenpox and Shingles
Shingles (Herpes Zoster, Shingles) is a skin disease caused by infection with the varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox.
Even if the patient has recovered from chicken pox But the varicella virus Zoster remains hidden in nervous system tissue. and may lead to shingles in the future.
Risk factors include the patient’s weakened immune system and stress. That may stimulate the activity of the virus, causing shingles.
In addition, rheumatic patients who use immunosuppressive drugs to suppress pain Glucocorticoids There is a risk of activating the virus. Until being sick with shingles as well
Therefore it cannot be concluded that Occurrence of shingles among rheumatic p
atients This is because of the stimulus from the COVID-19 vaccine. or because of the use of immunosuppressants
Therefore, general vaccine recipients who have never had chickenpox or varicella virus Zoster in the body Therefore, there is no way to get shingles because of the COVID-19 vaccination.
Relationship between the COVID-19 vaccine and shingles
Currently, there are several studies that study the relationship between the COVID-19 vaccine and shingles, both studies that do not find a relationship and studies that speculate that the COVID-19 vaccine It contributes to shingles or herpes, etc.
In addition, there is research that has found a relationship between COVID-19 infection. with the same symptoms of shingles
The best way to prevent shingles is the chickenpox vaccination which is effective in preventing chickenpox and shingles up to 90%
in the united states There is also a shingles vaccine for people who have had chickenpox. which is effective in preventing shingles up to 97%
Source: Thai News A
gency
SEOUL, The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday revised up its 2024 growth outlook for South Korea to 2.3 percent on the back of greater-than-expected resilience in major global economies.
The latest projection for the year marked a 0.1 percentage point increase in its forecast made in October, and is on a par with the projection by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The South Korean government forecast economic growth of 2.2 percent in 2024 and the Bank of Korea presented a 2.1 percent growth outlook for this year.
Analysts have said the South Korean economy is expected to expand on rising exports in line with the economic growth of the United States, China and other nations, albeit at a slow pace.
After a yearlong downturn, exports, a key growth engine for South Korea, have bottomed out and risen since late last year driven by solid demand for semiconductors, among other items.
For the global economy, the IMF raised the growth forecast for 2024 by 0.2 percentage point t
o 3.1 percent on account of greater-than-expected resilience in the U.S. and other economies, as well as fiscal support in China.
“With disinflation and steady growth, the likelihood of a hard landing has receded, and risks to global growth are broadly balanced,” the organization said in the latest report.
The organization said faster disinflation could lead to further easing of financial conditions and stronger structural reform momentum would bolster productivity with positive cross-border spillovers.
Inflation is falling faster than expected in most regions and global headline inflation is expected to fall to 5.8 percent in 2024 and further to 4.4 percent in 2025. Last year’s figure was 6.8 percent.
But the IMF pointed out that the forecast for 2024-25 comes below the historical average of 3.8 percent amid high interest rates and low productivity growth.
It cited hikes in commodity prices stemming from geopolitical risks, such as the ongoing tension in the Red Sea, and deepening woes over property sec
tors in China and elsewhere as downside risks.
The organization also noted that supply chain disruptions or stickier underlying inflation could prolong tight monetary conditions.
Source: Yonhap News Agency