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I read in this article that the reason there are more shingles cases and they are more severe is because of the lack of chicken pox cases. When you come in contact with chicken pox and previously had it, it suppresses shingles much like a booster shot. There is always a downside to vaccination rather than immunity.
The article states: "Using a shingles vaccine to control shingles epidemics in adults would likely fail because adult vaccination programs have rarely proved successful," said Goldman. "There appears to be no way to avoid a mass epidemic of shingles lasting as long as several generations among adults."
It's an interesting article that also indicates that the more we try to eradicate these childhood diseases artificially the more we create worse problems.
I don't think you will be better off having had the shot but as always, it's your choice to roll those dice.
I am 57 and got my shingles vaccination last year. I consider myself to be conservative with vaccines but I did not hesitate getting this one. As a child, I suffered terribly with chicken pox - I had them in my eyes, my mouth and ears. I would not wish that on anyone.
I'm against vaccinations as a whole but am considering getting the shingles one after seeing shingles kill and almost destroy others. Does anyone aw feel this way? I'm mid 50's.
No, I do not. I am 67, and have had 3 outbreaks of shingles, and still no vaccine.
I have no aversion to being vaccinated, but the 2 doctors I have had were only lukewarm on the vaccine. I am sure that some people, who do not recognize their symptoms early enough, have had very bad experiences with shingles, but I have not.
At my first outbreak, the symptoms were a weird backache and a prickly feeling on the skin. My doctor recognized this immediately and prescribed an antiviral, which knocked it out within a week. Subsequent outbreaks, many years apart, I recognized immediately, and got the antiviral. if you do this, you'll be fine.
At no time did I ever get a rash.
You can still get shingles, even with the vaccine.
My husband thought he had poison ivy. I was putting Calamine lotion on his shingles for days. He had the vaccination before he came down with it. Yes, he was given that antiviral shot and it went away in about a week. His doctor then said that he did not recommend another shingles vax after having shingles because it is even less effective.
Other than my Senior husband, the only other cases I have seen were my 33 year old SIL (same reaction as my husband) and my daughter's 35 year old friend; neither got a shingles vax because CDC doesn't recommend it that young.
Me? No, I am 66 and not getting it. If 1/3 of the population (had cp) gets shingles, that means 2/3 DON'T. Which are the better odds? I know as with all the other push for vaccinations/preventive medicine, it might be YOU. I will take my chances. My choice.
Vaccinated folks who still get shingles tend to have milder disease and a lower risk of chronic postherpetic pain.
Quote:
Originally Posted by katjonjj
I read in this article that the reason there are more shingles cases and they are more severe is because of the lack of chicken pox cases. When you come in contact with chicken pox and previously had it, it suppresses shingles much like a booster shot. There is always a downside to vaccination rather than immunity.
The article states: "Using a shingles vaccine to control shingles epidemics in adults would likely fail because adult vaccination programs have rarely proved successful," said Goldman. "There appears to be no way to avoid a mass epidemic of shingles lasting as long as several generations among adults."
It's an interesting article that also indicates that the more we try to eradicate these childhood diseases artificially the more we create worse problems.
I don't think you will be better off having had the shot but as always, it's your choice to roll those dice.
The theory that use of the chickenpox vaccine in children would increase the number of cases of shingles by preventing the booster effect of re-exposure to the virus has turned out not to be true.
"They found that annual rates of shingles increased 39 percent over the 18-year study period. However, they didn't find a statistically significant change in the rate after the introduction of the chickenpox vaccine. They also found that the rate of shingles didn't vary from state to state where there were different rates of chickenpox vaccine coverage."
In addition, countries that do not offer routine chickenpox vaccine have had increasing rates of shingles.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bluedevilz
If you had a "good" case of chicken pox whatever that means, then you have Herpes zoster lying dormant right now that could reactivate as Shingles at any time....you have just as much chance of developing Shingles whether you were vaccinated against Chicken Pox or had a "good"case as a child.
About 1/3 of adults will develop Shingles in their lifetime and it truly can be debilitating
Shingles has been recognized since ancient times and that statistic of 1/3 of adults developing shingles has been unchanged since before the chicken pox vaccine was even available, clearly there is no special protection from having had chicken pox itself and the rate hasn't increased since the availability of the chicken pox vaccine...
Get the vaccine
The incidence of shingles has been rising, and the reasons are unknown.
The vaccine virus can establish latency, like the wild virus, but the risk of shingles after the vaccine is lower than with the wild virus.
"Although uncommon among children, the rate of herpes zoster in U.S. children has been declining since the routine varicella vaccination program started. Varicella vaccine contains live attenuated VZV [varicella zoster virus], which causes latent infection. The attenuated vaccine virus can reactivate and cause herpes zoster; however, children vaccinated against varicella appear to have a lower risk of herpes zoster than people who were infected with wild-type VZV. The reason for this is that vaccinated children are less likely to become infected with wild-type VZV, and the risk of reactivation of vaccine-strain VZV is lower compared with reactivation of wild-type VZV."
Last edited by suzy_q2010; 06-08-2015 at 04:19 AM..
My husband thought he had poison ivy. I was putting Calamine lotion on his shingles for days. He had the vaccination before he came down with it. Yes, he was given that antiviral shot and it went away in about a week. His doctor then said that he did not recommend another shingles vax after having shingles because it is even less effective.
People who have had shingles and not had the vaccine can and should take the vaccine. Repeating the vaccine is not indicated though.
"Can someone who has experienced an episode of shingles be vaccinated with the zoster vaccine?
Yes. Zoster vaccine is routinely recommended for all persons age 60 years and older who do not have a contraindication.
How soon after a case of shingles can a person receive zoster vaccine?
The general guideline for any vaccine is to wait until the acute stage of the illness is over and symptoms abate. However, a recent case of shingles is expected to boost the person's immunity to varicella. Zoster vaccine is also intended to boost immunity to varicella. Administering zoster vaccine to a person whose immunity was recently boosted by a case of shingles might reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine. ACIP does not have a specific recommendation on this issue. But it may be prudent to defer zoster vaccination for 6 to 12 months after the shingles has resolved so that the vaccine can produce a more effective boost to immunity."
I read in this article that the reason there are more shingles cases and they are more severe is because of the lack of chicken pox cases. When you come in contact with chicken pox and previously had it, it suppresses shingles much like a booster shot. There is always a downside to vaccination rather than immunity.
The article states: "Using a shingles vaccine to control shingles epidemics in adults would likely fail because adult vaccination programs have rarely proved successful," said Goldman. "There appears to be no way to avoid a mass epidemic of shingles lasting as long as several generations among adults."
It's an interesting article that also indicates that the more we try to eradicate these childhood diseases artificially the more we create worse problems.
I don't think you will be better off having had the shot but as always, it's your choice to roll those dice.
The article you cite is 10 years old and frequently referenced by anti-vaxxers....
Problem is the study has since been refuted and conclusions shown to be false
A more recent study, less than 2 years ago, from the Annals of Internal Medicine
"Conclusion: Age-specific HZ incidence increased in the U.S. population older than 65 years even before implementation of the childhood varicella vaccination program. Introduction and widespread use of the vaccine did not seem to affect this increase. "
Since effectively everyone in the US is at risk for developing shingles later in life as we all have dormant Herpes zoster on board, the only folks "rolling dice" are the ones who opt NOT to have the vaccine..
Those who take the vaccine effectively reduce their risk of contracting shingles and if they do develop shingles they have less chance of going on to the dreaded post herpetic neuralgia which can be life altering....
Maybe you are "rolling dice" if you take the vaccine but they are loaded in your favor
My husband thought he had poison ivy. I was putting Calamine lotion on his shingles for days. He had the vaccination before he came down with it. Yes, he was given that antiviral shot and it went away in about a week. His doctor then said that he did not recommend another shingles vax after having shingles because it is even less effective.
Other than my Senior husband, the only other cases I have seen were my 33 year old SIL (same reaction as my husband) and my daughter's 35 year old friend; neither got a shingles vax because CDC doesn't recommend it that young.
Me? No, I am 66 and not getting it. If 1/3 of the population (had cp) gets shingles, that means 2/3 DON'T. Which are the better odds? I know as with all the other push for vaccinations/preventive medicine, it might be YOU. I will take my chances. My choice.
Here is the thing about statistics, they aren't necessarily static...
Of everyone alive today about 1/3 will develop shingles in their lifetime...
As you age the relative risk goes UP....meaning if you live to 80 you have a 50% chance of developing shingles
Here is the thing about "anecdotal evidence"....it is meaningless...
Just because you know 3 people who had relatively mild cases of shingles doesn't mean yours will be mild if you were to develop the condition and God help you if you develop post herpetic neuralgia...
Do you know one of the most common causes for suicide in older Americans? Post herpetic neuralgia, I have seen patients with it, it is described as the most miserable, horrible pain one can know and it essentially untreatable. The risk of developing PHN also rises with age to nearly 70% of cases of Shingles going on to PHN in older patients...
Why anyone would take "their chances" with shingles and post herpetic neuralgia is beyond me....
Of all the conditions we can offer vaccines for I doubt any have as HIGH an incidence rate of 33-50% like shingles, those aren't good odds to be taking chances on....
Here is the thing about statistics, they aren't necessarily static...
Of everyone alive today about 1/3 will develop shingles in their lifetime...
As you age the relative risk goes UP....meaning if you live to 80 you have a 50% chance of developing shingles
Here is the thing about "anecdotal evidence"....it is meaningless...
Just because you know 3 people who had relatively mild cases of shingles doesn't mean yours will be mild if you were to develop the condition and God help you if you develop post herpetic neuralgia...
Do you know one of the most common causes for suicide in older Americans? Post herpetic neuralgia, I have seen patients with it, it is described as the most miserable, horrible pain one can know and it essentially untreatable. The risk of developing PHN also rises with age to nearly 70% of cases of Shingles going on to PHN in older patients...
Why anyone would take "their chances" with shingles and post herpetic neuralgia is beyond me....
Of all the conditions we can offer vaccines for I doubt any have as HIGH an incidence rate of 33-50% like shingles, those aren't good odds to be taking chances on....
Jo thinks shingles is just a minor itchy rash.
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