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We have seen serious symptoms from shingles in family members and were motivated to get the vaccination even when the cost was high before we had any insurance coverage.
The vaccine that has been available, Zostavax, is only effective 70% of the time, for about 5 years
It declines with age, and you should get a booster after that time.
Literally , last month, a newer vaccine was approved by the FDA, Shingrix.
This vaccine is effective 90% of the time, but is a 2 shot vaccine. You need to get 2 shots for the vaccine
and is recommended for people over 50 years old.
But will last much longer that Zostavax
But this vaccine has more side reactions than Zostavax (might want to ask your doc about them)
So if you get the vaccine, you might want to ask which one they are giving you and decide.
If Zostavax, in the coming years, you might be told you need to get the Shingrix anyway.
Shingrix, being just approved , may not be available in all places for awhile.
Also, it cost about $250-300.
A lot of insurance plans do not cover it, so if cost is an issue, you should call your part D insurance company to ask if it is covered.
I got a shingles shot a year ago at age 61 and had no discomfort. I was the one who brought it up, not my doctor. My insurance would not cover it until age 60 but now Aetna has lowered that age to 50 or 55 - not sure which.
My mother had shingles at the age of 95; it was not a pretty situation. Many years ago, the owner of the tire store I worked at had it and was out for a month. I want to avoid having that happen to me, if I can
I got my shingles vaccination last year at my pharmacy. No problems at all with it for me.
I had the shingles vaccine 7 or 8 years ago. No bad reactions. That was the "old" one of course - the one which only gave you 50% or 70% chance of immunity. At the time it was the best available and I was glad to have even those chances. Why not? There is really no down side, unless one is allergic to some of the ingredients.
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shingles vaccination?
