Shingles vaccine???

[Wildapple]

This vaccine is not a 100% guarantee against getting Shingles again and so I think it gives false hope. I've had Shingles twice and yes it is very painful. Your best bet is to take Valtrex (an anti-viral) if you do in fact get Shingles. This is what I did last time. It shortened the duration to about a week and kept it from spreading.

[Katydid]

I was actually surprised by my doctor when he DIDN'T recommend that I get the shingles vaccine. He said that the disease tends to pop up in people who are immune compromised or have serious illnesses like diabetes. He said given my healthy diet and lifestyle, I'm highly unlikely to develop shingles. If, on the other hand, I were to go on immune surpressing drugs for my autoimmune issues (as if ) it would be a different story.
Kate

[Jerry Angelo]

I thought this may be of interest for those over 50 and less than 60...

My doctor said since I was younger than 60, I didn't need to get vaccinated.

So I went online and read that the FDA has approved the vaccination to those 50 and up but the Centers for Disease Control doesn't recommend it until the age of 60.

Here's the article I read:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/shingles/expert-answers/shingles-vaccine/FAQ-20057859

[Poison Ivy]

Thanks Kate, Jerry and Wildapple. All good info. to consider before making a decision.

[Glenn50]

I had been told by the GP, and took it for granted, that as I have secondary Addison's Disease and take steroids I cannot have the Shingles Vaccine.
After reading these posts I googled and evidently can have the vaccine at no risk.
http://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&rct=j& ... nWtyYW1Naw

I have been warned that if I ever get Chicken Pox I will be in danger however being a kid in the 50s it's almost certain I would have come into contact with Chicken Pox, mumps, measles etc before I got Addisons and am probably immune..

[Wildapple]

Having chicken pox doesn't make you immune to Shingles. I had chicken pox and got Shingles twice.

[openmind]

Fyi- apparently there is now a new Shingles vaccine far more effective than the one discussed in this thread. It is recommended that everyone over 50 get it whether they remember getting the chicken pox or not.

[dynodan62]

Exactly the reason why the old vaccine is currently being marketed so heavily. Big $ suddenly being spent on advertising to clear stocks of a now obsolete product.

[PJK]

Wildapple, you have it backwards. Having had chicken pox in the past makes you *more* likely (not less) to get shingles.

The theory is that the virus remains latent in your body, and then later gets reactivated.

More here on this WebMD page: https://www.webmd.com/vaccines/features ... ickenpox#1

[Willijan]

Re: Shingrix, the newer shingles vaccine:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/09/well ... ccine.html