The Economic Burden of Herpes Zoster in Individuals Aged 50 Years or Older and Those With Underlying Conditions in Italy.

Background: Risk of herpes zoster (HZ) infection increases with age and immunosuppression. We estimated the impact of HZ and post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) on direct costs and health care resource utilization (HCRU) in patients ≥50 years, including those with comorbidities, as limited information exists in Italy.

Methods: This retrospective analysis used reimbursement data from local health authorities in Italy (January 2009-June 2022).