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ATLANTA — A government advisory panel recommended on Wednesday that Americans 60 and older get vaccinated against shingles, an excruciating rash caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox.

The recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices usually are accepted by federal health officials, and they influence insurance companies' decisions on which vaccinations to cover.

Shingles is a blistering skin rash that is most common in older people. It usually goes away after four weeks, but one in five sufferers develops severe, long-term nerve pain known as post-herpetic neuralgia. Complications also can include scarring and loss of vision or hearing.

Antiviral medications are of limited help, and some doctors say such drugs do not prevent shingles from progressing into postherpetic neuralgia.

No vaccine was available until May, when the Food and Drug Administration licensed Zostavax, made by Merck & Co. The vaccine is a souped-up version of Merck's chickenpox vaccine for children, with a live virus that is 14 times more potent.

Shingles is caused by the Varicella zoster virus. About 15 percent to 30 percent of people infected with the chickenpox virus get shingles later in life.

The virus essentially hibernates for decades in nerve cells around the spine. It reactivates in some patients, probably because the body's immune system weakens with age, doctors say.

The new vaccine appears to hold the virus in check. It doesn't prevent infection by the virus, but it helps prevent resurgence by boosting immunity.

Merck said it is still investigating whether the vaccine will help people who have already had shingles.

The FDA's approval of the vaccine was based largely on a study involving more than 38,000 people, with 19,000 getting the actual vaccine and others getting a placebo. People who got the shot developed shingles at only half the rate of those who got the fake vaccine.