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.
Iâd get any vaccine sooner rather than later.
Also note that you can get shingrix even if youâve had shingles before, to prevent a recurrence. My husbandâs 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 â it was on my right thigh, then wrapped around my hip to my lower back.
Iâll be 52 this year. Should I be getting this vaccine? My husband (same age) got it last year â he goes to a different doctor â 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 GSKâs 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 wasnât 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 didnât 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 âHutchinsonâs signâ 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 childrenâs 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 80âs 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 couldnât get insurance to cover, even after fighting denial. My MDs recommended it and seeing how miserable H and D were I didnât 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 couldnât 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 couldnât work, etc.).
I decided it wasnât 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.