Boston (eCanadaNow) - The CDC on Thursday recommended that everyone over the age of 60 should receive the shingles vaccine.

Merck & Co. Inc's vaccine Zostavax helps protect against the development of shingles.  The CDC has stated that this vaccine should be received by all people in the U.S. who are 60-years old and up.

The vaccine has the ability to cut the occurence of shingles by 50% in those ages 60 to 69.

For those over the age of 69, the vaccine is even more effective.

The CDC announced that at some point, one-third of all people in the U.S. will suffer from the viral infection, shingles.