• For the first time, Viola Davis shares her experience with shingles
• Viola encourages adults 50 years and older to prioritize their health and have candid conversations about increased risks that come with aging
• The partnership is part of GSK’s new national “Shingles, actually” disease education campaign

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — GSK plc (LSE/NYSE: GSK) today announced a partnership with award-winning actress, producer and philanthropist Viola Davis to launch “Shingles, actually”, a new educational campaign designed to spark conversations about the realities of aging, including the risk of shingles for adults 50 years and older. As part of the “Shingles, actually” campaign, Viola discusses her own experience with shingles for the first time, including its impact on her work and personal life, while encouraging the 50+ community to prioritize their health and start proactive conversations with their doctors.

Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/gsk/9424351-en-viola-davis-partners-gsk-educate-adults-50-older-shingles-risk

“The pain for me was a 9 out of 10. I couldn’t go out, I couldn’t work,” shared Viola of her experience with shingles. She added, “We just need to be real with each other about what aging actually looks like. Our lives haven’t slowed down – we feel great, and we’re leaning in. But it’s still true that our age puts us at increased risk for certain things, like shingles.¹ If one in three people develop shingles in their lifetime, why do we always think we won’t be the one?”²

Viola was surprised to learn that despite prioritizing her health and maintaining an active lifestyle, she was at increased risk of shingles because the immune system naturally weakens with age. Her experience reflects a common disconnect: many adults 50 years and older may feel young and healthy and not recognize that they are at increased risk for shingles due to their age.¹ Shingles, a painful, blistering rash that can last for weeks, is also more common than many people may realize. About 1 million people develop shingles in the US every year.^1,2

To bring the new campaign to life, GSK invited Viola Davis, Dr. Jen Caudle, Kristin Davis, Candace Nelson, Molly Sims, India Hicks, Lisa Cooper, Debbie Mabie, Andrea Siwiec and several other influential voices and shingles patient advocates to come together and share personal experiences with shingles, encouraging the community to recognize the realities of aging and be proactive about their increased risk for shingles.

“Many people think of shingles as just a rash, but for some people it can actually be more than that,” said Dr. Caudle. “The pain can affect work, family time and everyday activities. In some cases, shingles can lead to serious long-term complications that can last for months.^2,3,4 Because age is one of the most important risk factors, adults 50 and older should talk with their doctor or pharmacist about their risk for shingles and about prevention.”¹

Rabab Pettitt, Head of Communications for US Vaccines at GSK said, “Over the last few years, we’ve listened closely to adults over 50 to learn their views and attitudes about health and aging, as well as their perceptions about shingles. Those insights shaped the “Shingles, actually” campaign, which was designed to encourage more proactive conversations with healthcare providers about shingles risk and prevention.”

To learn more about your risk for shingles and Viola’s experience, visit ShinglesActually.com. The “Shingles, actually“Instagram channel will continue to deliver disease education to the community, featuring other influential voices and shingles advocates.

About “Shingles, actually”
“Shingles, actually” is a campaign that educates adults 50 years and older about shingles and their risk, encouraging them to ask their doctor or pharmacist about their risk and about prevention. The campaign sparks candid conversations and reinforces that talking about aging means talking about shingles, actually. Learn more about the campaign at ShinglesActually.com.

About shingles
Shingles is a painful, blistering rash that can last for weeks. Approximately 99% of US adults over 50 years old have the virus that causes shingles inside their body, although not everyone will develop shingles.² An estimated one million people develop shingles annually in the US.^1,2

Shingles is caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), the same virus that causes chickenpox.⁴ By age 50, VZV is present in most adults⁵ and may reactivate with advancing age.⁶ As people age, the strength of the immune system response to infection wanes, increasing the risk of developing shingles.⁶

About GSK
GSK is a global biopharma company with a purpose to unite science, technology, and talent to get ahead of disease together. Find out more at www.us.gsk.com.

GSK enquiries

Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements
GSK cautions investors that any forward-looking statements or projections made by GSK, including those made in this announcement, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Such factors include, but are not limited to, those described in the “Risk Factors” section in GSK’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for 2025, and GSK’s Q1 Results for 2026.

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References:

1. CDC. Clinical Overview of Shingles (Herpes Zoster). Accessed October 5, 2026. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/hcp/clinical-overview/
2. CDC. About Shingles (Herpes Zoster). Accessed October 5, 2026. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/about/
3. Van Oorschot, D., McGirr, A., Goulet, P., Koochaki, P., Pratiwadi, R., Shah, S., & Curran, D. (2022). A Cross-Sectional Concept Elicitation Study to Understand the Impact of Herpes Zoster on Patients’ Health-Related Quality of Life. Infect Dis Ther., 11(1), 501–516. Accessed October 5, 2026. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40121-021-00581-w
4. Harpaz R., et al. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Prevention of herpes zoster: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR Recomm Rep. 2008;57(RR-5):1–30.
5. Johnson, R.W., et al. Herpes zoster epidemiology, management, and disease and economic burden in Europe: a multidisciplinary perspective. Therapeutic advances in vaccines. 2015;3(4):109–20.
6. Mueller, N.H., et al. Varicella zoster virus infection: clinical features, molecular pathogenesis of disease, and latency. Neurologic clinics. 2008;26(3):675–97.

 

 

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SOURCE GSK