Vaccine against chicken pox makes someone much less likely to get chicken pox. Shingles only occurs in people who have had chicken pox.
Count me among the 2/3. I had a mild case of shingles in college but didn’t even know what I’d had until I returned home after exams and saw a dermatologist.
On the other hand, I’ve see people with horrible, horrible cases. A professor I worked with after college had a case so severe he was out for weeks and had permanent nerve damage. He had shingles on his gums, in his ears and in his eyes. He couldn’t eat, he could’t sleep, and he was in terrible pain despite medication.
I’ll be first in line for the vaccine when I hit 60.
Isn’t that what I said?
@Sue22, if you had shingles, it’s extremely unlikely that you’ll get it again.
Because I had a mild case I’m actually less likely to have a recurrence, but it’s still not a risk I’d want to take.
No such thing as a stomach “flu.” Sounds like they had either food poisoning or some type of GI virus.
^^Mayo Clinic begs to differ:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/viral-gastroenteritis/basics/symptoms/con-20019350
Two of my older sisters had shingles. Their reports of symptoms were so horrible that I got the shingles vaccine at the earliest allowable moment. However, I was not aware at that time that the length of protection is unknown and the dangers and risk of getting shingles increase with age. So, if I had it to do over again, I would wait till I was 60. I am eagerly awaiting the new shingles vaccine that is still in development and looks like it might be a vast improvement.
One of my sisters got the shingles vaccine after she had shingles and then she got shingles again! These things do happen. However, I’m still first in line for vaccinations.
While the shingles vaccine is not so hot at preventing shingles, it is much better at preventing severe and lasting aftereffects, in particular post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN):
[http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/shingles/vacc-need-know.htm]
People don’t have to wait until they’re 60. You can request it from your doctor any time you want - it’s just a matter of whether your insurance will pay for it (my doctor provides it at his cost - I think it was around $140). I was willing to fork out the money to minimize my risk around 54 years old… even with a history of having had a very mild case when I was 50. We had the disposable income, and in light of the many horror stories I’ve heard and seen, it’s just not a risk I wanted to take. It can be absolutely devastating.
@Madison85, your link basically admits that “stomach flu” is a misnomer. There really isn’t anything which is truly stomach “flu,” it’s actually gastroenteritis. The “flu” is short for influenza, which is not related at all to gastroenteritis. It’s just one of those things lay people have gotten wrong so many times that it has just become firmly entrenched in the lexicon.
Yep, as the link said, gastroenteritis is commonly called stomach flu. Couldn’t find where the linked article admitted it’s a misnomer.
Straight from the CDC:
Clearly stomach flu is not influenza, as stated in my original post; however gastroenteritis is commonly referred to as stomach flu.
^^ I think we understand the distinction in this thread. Where it causes problems is for people who don’t know any better and think it’s just a virus they picked up somewhere, when in reality it might be self-inflicted due to poor food safety practices at home.
What we call the flu comes from the Italian term influenza di freddo, or influence of the cold, since it is more prevalent and more contagious in colder temperatures. I don’t know why it became confused with a stomach virus but maybe it’s just because they are both so miserable. There are also stomach bugs like Norovirus which are usually more contagious in the winter but I caught that one last month.
Maybe we could go back to calling the flu “the grippe” for clarity, lol.
The cheapest “shingles” shot I could find that was in stock was at Costco. It cost just under $200. It was worth it to me and I will get the “new and improved” shingles vaccine when it is available. By then I will be over 60, so hopefully my insurer will pay. It was worth it to me to pay out of pocket, since both D and H were miserable when they suffered through shingles in separate incidents.
I had my flu shot Wednesday, and my arm is still sore. That is a first…but it’s the quad type…and I was warned it would hurt for a few days.
I had the shingles shot at 60 after watching a friend suffer through a pretty mild case. She was very uncomfortable…plus she could not come to work (primary school) for a bit.
H, my folks and I got our flu shots today. So far, H is a bit tired but I’m feeling ok.
Got my flu shot yesterday. Very slight stiffness in the arm but nothing to impede any movement. Indeed, I lifted weights afterwards. Kids are getting theirs today. We are spoiled though - we can just walk into H’s office and get them, no wait.
victory! got my flu shot!