The initiative aims to raise awareness about the risks associated with shingles and the ways to prevent it. The campaign was launched through a virtual press conference attended by a number of journalists and media representatives from various Saudi newspapers, magazines, and news websites.

During the conference, the initiatives carried out by the Saudi Society for Family and Community Medicine were presented, which included an extensive national campaign creatively designed to generate positive engagement. The campaign focused on educating the public about the disease, the groups most at risk, and the best methods for treatment and prevention. Upcoming projects in collaboration with Jeddah Cyclists Association and the Saudi Center for Fine Arts were also discussed.

Dr. Ashraf Amir, Vice President of the Saudi Society for Family and Community Medicine, emphasized the significant role that Saudi medical societies play in spreading health awareness and education. He pointed out the importance of educating society about various diseases, including shingles, which poses a health challenge, particularly for individuals over 50 and those with weakened immune systems or chronic illnesses. Infected persons can suffer from a painful rash, which in some cases, is followed by postherpetic neuralgia, leading to severe pain and a decrease in life quality.

Dr. Ashraf stressed the necessity of adhering to the Saudi Ministry of Health’s recommendations and to get the necessary vaccinations, including the shingles vaccine for the elderly, which the ministry has included in its immunization program. He highlighted the importance of receiving the second dose of the vaccine to achieve protection effectiveness of over 90 percent, noting that vaccinations can prevent many complications that the elderly, especially those with weaker immune systems and chronic diseases, are unable to cope with.

Abdul Ibrahim Al-Ghubaishi, the field commander of the events and a member-at-large of the Jeddah Cyclists Association, expressed his gratitude towards the Saudi Society for Family and Community Medicine for providing the Jeddah Cyclists Association with the opportunity to participate in this educational and awareness effort. He also praised the society’s creative initiatives, such as participating in the Riyadh Marathon and the upcoming cycling event on the Jeddah Corniche slated for February 24.

During her speech, Nouf Dhahran, the director of the Saudi Center for Fine Arts, expressed her delight in collaborating with the Saudi Society for Family and Community Medicine to spread health awareness in an innovative way. She invited artists and creatives to exhibit their works in the art exhibition "Pain in a Painting” to depict the universal feeling of pain, and specifically, the suffering experienced by shingles patients.

The conference concluded with a Q&A session, where the attending journalists had the opportunity to direct their questions to the lecturing physicians.