68. An advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) is performing a yearly physical on a 51-year-old patient. The patient mentions being in contact with an elderly family member who has shingles and asks which action should be taken to avoid contracting the disease. Which vaccine should the APRN recommend to this patient?
Answer: B
The APRN should recommend the Zoster vaccine to the patient.
To avoid contracting shingles, the APRN should recommend the Zoster vaccine, which is specifically designed to prevent shingles and its complications.
A) Hepatitis B
The Hepatitis B vaccine protects against the Hepatitis B virus, which primarily affects the liver. It is not relevant in this context since the patient is concerned about shingles, which is caused by the varicella-zoster virus.
B) Zoster
The Zoster vaccine is specifically intended to prevent shingles, which is a reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus. Given that the patient has been in contact with someone who has shingles, this vaccine is the most appropriate recommendation to reduce the risk of developing the disease.
C) Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis
This combination vaccine protects against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough). It does not provide any protection against shingles, making it an unsuitable choice for this patient's concerns.
D) Measles, mumps, and rubella
The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine protects against those specific viral infections but does not address the varicella-zoster virus or shingles. Consequently, it is not relevant to the patient's situation regarding shingles exposure.
Conclusion
The Zoster vaccine is the only option that directly addresses the patient's concern about contracting shingles after exposure to an infected individual. All other options either target different diseases or are not relevant to the protection against shingles, confirming that B is the correct answer.