<p>My HMO recommends the shingles vaccine at age 60. I know 4 women who came down with shingles in their 50’s, and one of them ended up with permanent damage to their eye. Today I saw an ad from the manufacturer of the vaccine, and it said it was recommended for adults age 50 and over. I’ve heard the immune system (along with everything else) weakens as we age, so it seems to make sense to get the shot sooner rather than later. Anyone else know someone who had shingles before age 60?</p>
<p>me - in my inner ear which was damaged, gave me bell’s palsey for a time and has significantly impacted my balance. Also has produced dizziness spells.</p>
<p>^^^
I sympathize with that! I had West Nile virus 4 years ago that affected my inner ear. Took almost a year to get back to normal. I heard a theory that shingles is affecting people at a younger age because we used to get a “booster” effect when our kids had chickenpox. Now that kids get the chickenpox vaccine we are not getting this exposure naturally. I hope the CDC is tracking shingles and will change their shingles vaccine recommendations if the age of infection appears to be getting lower. I think my Dr. will let me have the shot, having suffered through my e-mails during the West Nile episode.</p>
<p>The FDA just approved the shingles vaccine for those aged 50-60 in March 2011, I think. The HMO recommended age for the vaccination may catch up to the change eventually. I will have to pay full price for it but will do so if recommended by my physician. I am in my mid 50’s and had shingles recently. I believe it was probably brought on by a very stressful event that I experienced just previous to the shingles emerging.</p>
<p>My husband had shingles on his chest in his twenties and my brother-in-law got them in his eye when he was in his forties. Very painful and scary. It took my BIL a while to see correctly. I am all for getting this vaccine. Glad to hear it is now approved for us youngsters.</p>
<p>So are there any side effects from the vaccine that we need to worry about? My H has a relative who had shingles and several years later she is still on incredibly powerful painkillers and also has to use Ambien to sleep every night. She spent the night at my house and I was tempted to throw away the sheets it scared me so much!</p>
<p>My D got shingles last spring, her sophomore year in college. She was 19 at the time. The doctor at her student health center asked her if she was getting enough sleep and/or under stress. She didn’t want to seem disrespectful, but felt like answering “duh!”</p>
<p>She had the chicken pox when she was 3.</p>
<p>I’ll have to look into the vaccine - I hadn’t heard that those under 60 could get it.</p>
<p>I didn’t get chicken pox till I was thirty. (And then I gave it to my oldest.) I wonder what that makes my timeline.</p>
<p>Any one who has had the vaccine have any temporary after effects? As in, should a person NOT do it when they have busy plans? Will the recipient feel lousy for a few days?</p>
<p>mathmom-Another parents that gave chicken pox to the kids was my husband. Of course all three have then after each other, so I was taking care of pox for weeks! My husband’s were bad because he was male, adult and a doctor; we all know not the best patients in the world 
my son had them in his mouth and anus, as well as some other virus at the same time; pox and vomiting and diarrhea also not a good combination :(</p>
<p>Here is the web site from the CDC about shingles:</p>
<p>[CDC</a> - Shingles Vaccination - Herpes Zoster](<a href=“http://www.cdc.gov/shingles/vaccination.html]CDC”>Shingles Vaccination | CDC)</p>
<p>I didn’t realize the vaccine was only 50% effective, but I guess that’s better than nothing. </p>
<p>My H never had chickenpox. The HMO didn’t believe him, so he had to have an antibody test and indeed, it came back negative. He still likes to tell the story of how he had to go to Pediatrics to get the shot. They even gave him an action figure Band-Aid!</p>
<p>I asked about it at the pharmacy when I got my flu shot. The biggest temporary side effect might be the $250 cost if insurance isn’t covering it.</p>
<p>The vaccine is $215 here and my insurance won’t cover any of it.</p>
<p>momsquad, I’m like your husband. Never had chickenpox! Not sure how, having 3 sibs and a boatload of neighborhood kids we practically lived with. </p>
<p>I got the vaccine before I got pregnant (NOT good to get chickenpox when pregnant…friend did and lost her baby).</p>
<p>It cost $225 uncovered here, but I heard Walgreens tell someone it was $60, if you want Walgreens to do it.</p>
<p>2.5% chance of getting shingles under fifty, without vaccine</p>
<p>5% chance of getting 50-60 without vaccine.</p>
<p>gradual increase until 80-20%chance of getting past 80 without vaccine</p>
<p>If we get the vaccine in our early 50s, would it lose its effectiveness at age 60+ when there is a higher risk of getting shingles?</p>
<p>My mom had shingles in her late 70’s. It was truly awful.</p>
<p>The cash price for Zostavax at Wags is about $220. The person with the $60 cost has insurance which covers it. If you have Medicare, please remember it is a Part D vaccine. Your MD cannot really bill for it. It is much easier to go to a pharmacy. Zostavax is a new vaccine, and it will take some time to see how long lasting its immunity is going to be.</p>
<p>I decided to wait until I turned 60 to get the vaccine, so my insurance would cover it. My copay was around $25.</p>
<p>No side effects whatsoever. My friends who have gotten shingles were all under 60, so hopefully insurance will begin covering it for folks over 50.</p>
<p>When you say that it is only 50% effective does that only mean you are 50% less likely to get it or does it also mean that if you do get it, your case is 50% less virulent?</p>
<p>Last time I went to see my doctor, actually a nurse, told me about the shingles vaccine being approved for 50+, something for me to think about. I didn’t ask if insurance covered it. I guess I will ask insurance.</p>