Yes, shingles vaccine (Shingrix) can be taken if you want to reduce the risk of shingles, even though the shingles risk may be lower from chicken pox vaccine virus than from real chicken pox virus.
Note that Shingrix vaccine can be gotten even if you have previously gotten the less effective Zostavax vaccine.
I’d get any vaccine sooner rather than later.
Also note that you can get shingrix even if you’ve had shingles before, to prevent a recurrence. My husband’s doctor recommended he do that.
I had a very mild case of chicken pox at age 3 or so, barely a handful of spots.
And then, oddly, at age 10 I got shingles. I remember vividly how painful it was – it was on my right thigh, then wrapped around my hip to my lower back.
I’ll be 52 this year. Should I be getting this vaccine? My husband (same age) got it last year – he goes to a different doctor – and he was a little achy the day after both shots, but nothing bad.
I got Shingrix even though I had shingles previously.
A large study found that the recommended 2 doses of Shingrix gave 79% vaccine efficacy in the first year, 75% in the second year, and 73% in the third and fourth years.
https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M23-2023
The manufacturer GSK’s study found that Shingrix had a 79.7% efficacy for age 50+ and 73.1% efficacy in age 70+ over 6 to 11 years after vaccination.
Yes, worth getting.
My mom got a very mild case of shingles at age 85. She had a rash on her back and it wasn’t painful. Her doctor is still advising her to get the vaccine. She is reluctant to get it due to side effects.
I go my vaccine 2 years ago. I didn’t feel any side effects except for a bit of pain on my arm.
I had the old shingles shot and the Shingrix both.
Shingrex made me very sick- fever chills, miserable flu like symptoms, both times
I also subsequently had the start of shingles. Because someone in the know spotted “Hutchinson’s sign” immediately, we blasted it with antivirals and it never spread. Probably a combo of early intervention and the Shingrix.
I got the old shingles vaccine and then Shingrax came out. I got that, too.
Other than a bit of soreness in my arm, I had no issues.
I discovered today that another friend of mine, in her 70s,never had chicken pox (neither did her mother or grandmother). Her doctor does not recommend her getting the chicken pox shot followed by the shingles shots. At this point, he wants to keep that virus out of her body. BTW, she has been a children’s librarian for her entire career and is a mother and grandmother, so she has probably been exposed many times.
My dad had shingles in his 80’s and said nothing has ever hurt that much.
DH and I both had chicken pox as kids and have both gotten Shingrix with no real side effects other than sleepy the second day.
I know someone who has not had (symptomatic) chicken pox despite several known close exposures to people with chicken pox or shingles (did not get the chicken pox vaccine since it was not available during their childhood). It is known that some people get asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic chicken pox, though it is uncommon; your friend may be among them (if so, she may have some risk of shingles).
The chicken pox vaccine is a live vaccine, but the Shingrix shingles vaccine is a recombinant subunit vaccine with no live virus (the older Zostavax shingles vaccine was a live vaccine).
I believe she (and the other person I know in their 70s in the same boat) had the titer and were determined to not have ever had it.
I got Zostervax when it came out even tho I was only 50 and couldn’t get insurance to cover, even after fighting denial. My MDs recommended it and seeing how miserable H and D were I didn’t mind paying the $200 to get it at Costco (cheapest place that had it in stock). Shortly thereafter CDC lowered age for recommendation to 50 and would have covered it! No regrets. H had already received shot and was >60 so covered by insurance.
H and I got Shingrix vaccine shortly after it was available, both shots in proper sequence. As usual I had mild reaction (sore arm at injection site and couldn’t sleep on that side for 48 hours). H felt like he had flu for 72 hours, like he does for most shots. He does better when he remembers to take Alleve at 1st symptoms. It was covered for both of us as we were both >60 years old.
I got the Shingrix vaccine last year - prompted in part by the discussion here on CC. A little research revealed lots of stories about the potentially (really) debilitating effects of shingles (people in so much pain they couldn’t work, etc.).
I decided it wasn’t something I wanted to risk (need to work; want to stay active). The vaccine had me in bed (like bad flu) for a day for each dose - but I have strong reactions to almost any medicine.
Worth it, to me.
“Recombinant zoster vaccine is associated with a reduced risk of dementia”
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-69289-0
(RZV is Shingrix)
Has anyone had an increase of cold sores after their second Shingrix shot? I had no problems with cold sores for ten years. Get my second Shingrix shot and ten days later I had a cold sores outbreak. It’s been 6 months and I have had non stop cold sore outbreaks and have needed continuous antiviral medication that helps, but so far has not controlled my cold sores and I have had nonstop cold sore symptoms, burning, itching pain, and blister forming. This started right after my second Shingrix shot, and I had been cold sore free for 10 years. Anyone else experiencing this?
Hey all, popping in to say that a year ago, I asked if I should get the Shingrix vaccine. Response was overwhelmingly yes. Well, I put it off for one reason or another – it was a busy year, blah blah.
The last six months have been a really stressful time – dealing with moving aging parents from assisted living in another state to living close to me (and taking over their care). Lots of added complications with their health, etc.
And then, my oldest was graduating from college and applying to grad schools, my last kiddo is graduating from high school this week, and my college freshman (with some special needs) was needing support.
Anyhow. In the day and a half between moving my S25 out of his dorm and flying to D22’s college graduation, I came down with a horrible case of shingles. The pain is insane, and I was initially taking my DH’s 800mg ibuprofen, and it wasn’t touching it. It’s on my chest, neck and shoulder, plus a little bit on jawline and ear.
Finally got to an urgent care a few days later where I was given an anti-viral and diclofenac. The anti-viral works well to contain the rash from spreading. The diclofenac barely takes the edge off. I have a call in to the doctor to ask for gabapentin, but the office has been slow to respond.
I now have the post-rash nerve pain, and it is horrible. Please, if anyone is on the fence about getting the shots, GET THEM as soon as you can. You do not want this, trust.
I mentioned life circumstances above because I understand stress can trigger the virus? I’m 52 (53 next month), and I have plenty of friends my age who haven’t gotten around to this vaccine yet. If that’s you, let my experience serve as a warning!
Again, I’m so sorry you’re going through this.
Apparently so - my husband got an early+onset case (he was only in his mid-30s), but going through a very stressful time, and the doctor mentioned that at the time. His supposedly mild case was also incredibly painful.
I similarly had shingles during a stressful time. In my case it was due to jet lag, with too many trips to too many different time zones in a relatively short period of time.
When I was young I had a very, very mild case of chickenpox. However, a very mild case of chicken pox can lead to a rather unpleasant case of shingles decades later.
I had some residual pain after having shingles, although it sounds like I had it less bad. Then I got a shingles vaccination. Then a couple of years later I had another shingles vaccination when the newer vaccine came out (at the time I was still traveling and was still subject to occasional episodes of jet lag). With these two vaccinations, my lingering shingles pain, or at least the lingering pain where the original shingles pain had hit, just sort of slowly faded away.
I do not know if this is normal, or common, or unheard of. However, a person can get shingles more than once, so getting vaccinated even after the fact seemed like a good idea.
This is certainly my recommendation also.