In May 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a vaccine to prevent shingles in people age 60 and older. The vaccine is designed to boost the immune system and protect older adults from getting shingles later on. Even if you have had shingles, you can still get the shingles vaccine to help prevent future occurrences of the disease. There is no maximum age for getting the vaccine, and only a single dose is recommended. In a clinical trial involving thousands of adults 60 years old or older, the vaccine reduced the risk of shingles by about half.
To reduce the risk of shingles, adults 60 years old or older should talk to their healthcare professional about getting a one-time dose of the shingles vaccine. Even if the shingles vaccine doesn’t prevent you from getting shingles, it can still reduce the chance of having long-term pain. If you have had shingles before, you can still get the shingles vaccine to help prevent future occurrences of the disease.
Vaccine side effects are usually mild and temporary. In most cases, shingles vaccine causes no serious side effects. Some people experience mild reactions that last up to a few days, such as headache or redness, soreness, swelling, or itching where the shot was given.
The decision on when to get vaccinated should be made with your health care provider. The shingles vaccine is not recommended if you have active shingles or pain that continues after the rash is gone. The shingles vaccine is available in doctors’ offices, pharmacies, workplaces, community health clinics, and health departments.
Most private health insurance plans cover recommended vaccines. Check with your insurance provider for details and for a list of vaccine providers. Medicare Part D plans cover shingles vaccine, but there may be costs to you depending on your specific plan.
If you do not have health insurance, visit www.healthcare.gov to learn more about health insurance options.
The shingles vaccine is basically a stronger version of the chickenpox vaccine, which became available in 1995. If you’re asking yourself, what is chickenpox?, then doing some research into this would be in your best interest, especially for your children and when you go on holiday. The chickenpox shot prevents chickenpox in 70 to 90 percent of those vaccinated, and 95 percent of the rest have only mild symptoms. Millions of children and adults have already received the chickenpox shot.
Interestingly, the chickenpox vaccine may reduce the shingles problem. Widespread use of the chickenpox vaccine means that fewer people will get chickenpox in the future. And if people do not get chickenpox, they cannot get shingles. Use of the shingles and chickenpox vaccines may one day make shingles a rare disease.
