Unfortunate name.
I think the shingles vaccine is paid for by insurance for older people because that was the test group and received approval from the feds. They then did the next lower age group, so maybe the 50 year olds will be covered soon. Same with the pneumonia shots.
Shortly after Himm got hers, I took her advice and went to Costco for the shot. Sometimes it is worth paying $200 for something preventative. It makes me sad to hear the long term effects of having shingles, like the eye problems.
Personally, $200 for the shot is inexpensive compared to the pain H and D suffered from their shingles. It was money well spent, tho it would have been free if I waited. I’m glad I don’t know folks with the lasting eye and nerve problems and pain.
My lung doc recommended I get it–we work closely together and I follow his recommendations. He’s helped me lead an excellent life, exceeding dire prognoses and thrive!
GSK press release: Shingrix approved in the US for prevention of shingles in adults aged 50 and over
More articles:
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/887445
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fda-approves-better-vaccine-against-painful-shingles-virus/
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-fda-gsk/gsk-wins-u-s-shingles-vaccine-approval-uk-nod-for-gene-therapy-idUSKBN1CS0TU
No pricing seems to have been announced, but there is a CDC study on cost effectiveness that is based on Shingrix (previously known as HZ/su) costing $125 to $175 per dose from GSK estimates (looks like two doses may provide longer lasting immunity): https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/downloads/slides-2017-06/zoster-04-leidner.pdf
Excellent news.
Yay I hope I can get that new vaccine. I don’t want to deal with shingles! And I’m 51 so I qualify.
That is good news! I saw my grandmother suffer with shingles for many years and I don’t want to go down that road.
If you got the old shot, should you get the new shot?
Same question! I had to pay for the shot myself. My mother had shingles in her 60s and it was truly awful.
GSK did do a trial of giving Shingrix (HZ/su) to those who had previously had “the currently available live-attenuated zoster vaccine (ZVL)” (ZVL is Merck Zostavax) at least 5 years earlier.
The new shingles vaccine will be available in early 2018 and is recommended by the CDC for all adults over age 50. Willl that mean it is covered by insurance? Crossing my fingers…
Oh yay!
This should be very helpful to all of us who want to minimize our chance of getting shingles. I’m certainly planning to get vaccinated with H and my folks.
I haven’t had the shingles vaccine. I have been waiting for this new one. Last time I saw my doc and asked him about it he said I would find out (via news outlets) the same time he did.
As other have said, what I read was that you could get the new vaccine after the old one. My doctor said that insurance would cover if you got the old vaccine at the drug store, but not in the doctor’s office. Not clear why on that one.
The new vaccine require two shots and apparently is more “ouchy” as one article said. But seems worth it to avoid shingles. I’m bit concerned abut the “newness” and how long it might last, since they don’t have long-term data.
Dang it – not available soon enough for me. I was just diagnosed with shingles by my primary care doctor. 
She says I can have the vaccine in a couple months after recovering from this.
Ouch! So sorry to hear that, @intparent!
It is just on a couple of fingers on my right hand right now, with some wonky skin sensitivity in the right arm. Started meds today, doctor hopes we can keep it to a mild case and then move forward with the new vaccine. I made the mistake of Googling a few photos. My little blisters hurt like the dickens – I can’t imagine having a really severe case like some of those. 
After visiting a friend who almost lost her eye to shingles I went and paid for the old shingles vaccine at 58 or 59. Insurance didn’t cover it. I’m hoping it will cover the new one soon, but we will see. I had a fair amount of itching, but have been much sicker from other vaccines. (Looking at you yellow fever.)
I paid out of pocket for my shingles vaccine at Costco. It was <$200 and was great peace of mind. My insurer is still deciding whether to cover the new vaccine and our state doesn’t have it yet.
I’m willing to pay if needed if my docs say I ought to get it. Will ask my new internist when I see her in a few weeks.
My younger brother got migraines every day while he had shingles—it was excruciating!