When one reaches 60, some things are mandatory (coverage, adult, husband)
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I didn't realize this was one of those things you could get at a pharmacy. Is it likely that my doctor would have it, or do most people have to go to a hospital?
I know 2 people that got Shingles that had the vaccine. My Dad won't get it, he's 83, I can't afford it, it's like 250.00 or something ridiculous like that.
How many people do you know who got the vaccine and did not get shingles? You cannot really compare if you do not know that number, can you?
There is insurance coverage for the vaccine, including Medicare Part D.
In addition, the rebate from Merck has been extended through 2013, although that is not reflected on the rebate web site:
I didn't realize this was one of those things you could get at a pharmacy. Is it likely that my doctor would have it, or do most people have to go to a hospital?
Many doctors do not carry it because it must be kept frozen until right before it is administered. That requires a special freezer. A large clinic might do it; a small group probably would not.
You can check with your local pharmacies and find out who carries it. My insurance would not cover it unless it was administered in the doctor's office, so the office obtained a dose for me from a local pharmacy and gave it to me. That worked because the pharmacy was close to the office and I could come in as soon as the dose was available.
If you have insurance, check with the carrier before you get the vaccine.
Seriously I think it has to do with the folks selling the vaccine.. I am well over 60 and had shingles a few years ago. At that time I don't believe there was a vaccine. There have been some comments about heredity (sp) I think that is false because no one in my family ever had shingles.
I was the one who said that it was not hereditary. It is not, because you do not inherit shingles from an ancestor. It is an infectious disease.
However, there is some preliminary research to suggest that people with some genes may be more susceptible to shingles and PHN. There is no gene that provides absolute protection, and the protection in this study was found for females, not males:
Remember that statistics apply to groups of people, not individuals. Statistics can help us evaluate risk but they cannot predict outcomes for an individual.
Many doctors do not carry it because it must be kept frozen until right before it is administered. That requires a special freezer. A large clinic might do it; a small group probably would not.
You can check with your local pharmacies and find out who carries it. My insurance would not cover it unless it was administered in the doctor's office, so the office obtained a dose for me from a local pharmacy and gave it to me. That worked because the pharmacy was close to the office and I could come in as soon as the dose was available.
If you have insurance, check with the carrier before you get the vaccine.
My Doctor has it but required us to pay for it first even though our insurance covers it 100% Because she is required to buy a whole box of doses, I forget how many I think it was 1 Doz. at $260 per dose. So I imagine that is why not all Drs. Carry it on hand.
If you've never had chicken pox you NEVER get shingles. The reason for the recent rise in the shingles cases is because baby boomers are aging and most of them had chicken pox when they were children. There was no chicken pox vaccine back then.
I didn't realize this was one of those things you could get at a pharmacy. Is it likely that my doctor would have it, or do most people have to go to a hospital?
It's routinely advertised at our local Walgreen's. But +$250!! That's a real pain. Not covered by insurance at home in Canada, but I think the vaccine costs ~$150-200. Still high, but.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Red On The Noodle
You don't need vaccines -- you just need to find a child with chickenpox.
This article explains it all -- why there are more cases of shingles now.
Wow, this is very insightful and disturbing, thanks for posting it! No chance I'll find a kid around with chickenpox, not anytime soon I think. Need some grandchildren!
Mercola states that, "Vaccine Protection is Only Temporary." Since the vaccine has only been around for about twenty years, there is no way to say whether the protection lasts longer than that, but the evidence is that it probably wanes. If so, a booster will be the option. From the link above:
"HOW LONG WILL THE VACCINE PROTECT MY CHILD AGAINST CHICKENPOX?
The length of protection/immunity that any new vaccine provides is never known when it is first introduced. However, more than 20 years experience and research indicate that varicella vaccine protection lasts at least 20 years, and probably more."
The duration of immunity continues to be studied. If a booster is recommended at a future date, both the medical community and the general public will be informed.
Mercola cites VAERS data. VAERS is only reports of adverse events. VAERS does not determine causality. Anyone can report any event to VAERS. A report does not prove anything. Mercola misuses the VAERS data.
How about shingles in children who have had the vaccine? From the link above:
"Many more years of follow-up study in healthy persons are needed to determine the chickenpox vaccine's effect on shingles development in later life. In the meantime, studies in leukemic children indicate that the vaccine may help decrease one's chances for shingles."
So any bump in shingles incidence now related to less frequent exposure to wild chickenpox virus is likely temporary. It could be avoided by revaccinating adults sooner: shingles vaccine before age 60. It is actually approved for use beginning at age 50, though insurance coverage might be an issue.
It may be approved for use at age 50, but you may have trouble finding anyone that will give it to you before age 60.
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