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I got the vaccine as soon as I turned 60. My mother, my aunt, and a dear older friend all suffered from shingles, and it's misery on a stick..
You don't need a prescription. Much of the vaccine stock went to the chain pharmacies, that's why most doctor's offices don't have it. My doctor suggested I get mine at Kroger's, and I did.
If you have any questions about whether or not it's right for you, though, you should consult with your doctor. I had chicken pox when I was 35 years old, my doctor it doesn't matter that I had it so late, the virus is still dormant in my system.
One note: normally I don't react at all to vaccines, but this one caused a large, painful, itchy welt. It worried me but I found out it's a common reaction. The welt went away in about a week.
I'm not sure the vaccine will work after you've already had the shingles. But, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Having said that, I would definitely get it. I have worked with a handful of people who have gotten the shingles and it is SO painful. Some people get 1 mild outbreak and it never bothers them again. But others get one or more painful outbreaks, and can even suffer nerve pain permanently. I'm not a vaccine-lover, but shingles is terrible, I would do it if the doctor recommended it.
As written above, if your mother had chicken pox EVER, she is at risk for shingles.
The Herpes zoster virus, the virus that causes chicken pox causes the acute infection, with the low grade fever and rash (usually described as a 'dewdrop on a rose petal') and then is dormant (inactive but present) in the dorsal root ganglia of the spinal cord. These ganglia (which are collections of nerve cell bodies) supply the sensory innervation to most of the body (except for the face, which is from the fifth cranial nerve) and run parallel courses called dermatomes. That's why they often have a band-like distribution on the chest, for instance. Any immune insult, such as chemotherapy, a cold, etc. can cause reactivation of the virus, which then appears as shingles.
This is interesting to me... I was told that I had shingles when I was in my mid-20s. The lesions were between my ear and chin. I took Valtrex, and it went away fairly quickly with no lasting effects... are you saying that you can't get shingles on your face, though? I had my doubts, but we were on vacation, and I had to use a walk in clinic. I took the Valtrex on the advice of my own doctor, who I called after I saw the clinic doctor, but of course he was advising me sight unseen from 1500 miles away.
are you saying that you can't get shingles on your face, though?
No, you absolutely CAN get zoster on your face and ON/IN your eye. The cell bodies of the sensory nerve (fifth cranial nerve) that sit outside the brainstem, providing sensation to your face provide a sanctuary for the virus, just like the dorsal root ganglia that sit outside the spinal cord do for the rest of the body.
I got the vaccine after I had a case of it and my insurance covered it. If you should get shingles, you may not recognize it at first because pain precedes the onset of spots. Once you see the spots, get to a doctor within 48 hours to kill it with proper medication; otherwise you could have chronic pain indefinitely.
I am 36 years old, I am on my second go round with shingles, I can get no help on getting the shot. Can someone tell me why you have to be 60? My insurance says no I even called the health department. It gets really bad, the first time I ended up with Mrsa then I had a reaction to the antibiotic, I was in the emergency room twice, the bills keep piling up.
I called my county health dept and they ofer it at a much cheaper price than the doctors/pharmacies. I think Medicare will cover it as that is my insurance. But it was under $100 at the Health Dept., just haven't gone yet so not sure of exact price. I think they vaccinate anyone regardless of income b/c it is a public health matter.
When I had to get treated for a positive TB reaction, the treatment was free and lasted one year. They never asked about income then, either.
I am a 74 year old male and 3 days after receiving a flu shot I developed shingles.
I am in very good health and take no medications so I think the flu shot has to be the reason, however my doctor says it can't.
I also received the shingles shot a few years ago.
A lot of good that did.
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