Would you get the shingles vaccine?
Would you consider getting the shingles vaccine? Shingles, or herpes zoster, is a virus that comes from the chicken pox you had as a child. You can only get shingles if you had the chicken pox.
What happens is the virus lies dormant in your body for years and then, for some reason, it breaks out and causes pain. In many cases, severe pain (How common is shingles?). 
The rash starts on one part of your body, around the waist line, for example. It then spreads along the nerve line, staying only on one side of the body. If you have shingles on your face, you do run the risk of having it affect your eye or your ear.
Most people recover from the shingles (itching, pain, rash, fatigue, general feeling of not being well) within a month, but about 20% of people who have shingles develop a very painful disorder called postherpetic neuralgia.
There is now a vaccine available for the prevention of shingles (Thousands could be spared pain from shingles) and the Center for Disease Control in the United States is recommending that all people over the age of 60 who have had chicken pox, have this vaccine. You can read more about it in the article, Shingles shots urged for Americans 60 and up.
Image: Newscom
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POSTED IN: Acute pain, Chronic Pain, Neuro
6 opinions for Would you get the shingles vaccine?
Crabby McSlacker
May 17, 2008 at 10:40 am
I had a friend who got shingles, and was SO miserable I wouldn’t hesitate to get it.
I’m not old enough yet, but will definitely check it out when it’s time.
Marijke Durning, RN
May 17, 2008 at 11:18 am
Heck Crabby, having had shingles (3 yrs ago), I’d lie about my age if I had to. Horrible, horrible thing to have.
Old Wife
May 17, 2008 at 2:57 pm
I got a severe case of chicken pox in my 30s (ouch!) followed immediately by shingles (strange, I know) and was put on Acyclovir right away & got no pain from the shingles. My Mom visited my kids when they had chicken pox (they caught it from me!) and shortly after, she got a bad case of shingles. Watching her suffer made me want to avoid it in the future so I’ll sure consider getting this vaccine when I turn 60.
Terrie farley Moran
May 17, 2008 at 8:41 pm
I asked for and received the shingles shot last year when I turned sixty. The doctor never mentioned the shot, but was happy to comply with my request. I had no reaction what so ever and I hope to be in the lucky group that never gets shingles.
Don’t be afraid to speak up when you want something medically.
Terrie
Marijke Durning, RN
May 17, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Old Wife - a friend of mine had the chicken pox as an adult - it was awful, although I do have to say that back then, we weren’t too sympathetic. ;-)
Marijke Durning, RN
May 17, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Terrie - excellent point. We should be pro-active and ask for something like that if we want it.
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