Mushrooms

It's a routine vaccination in Australia so presumably tried and tested.

I don't know why it's not routine here because chickenpox can be nasty and, of course, the virus stays in the body and can cause shingles later.

M0nica

There is a clear link between chicken pox and shingles. They are both caused by the same varicella zoster virus. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus stays dormant in their body but can be reactivated later to cause shingles.

I am not surprised that if chicken pox is doing the rounds so does shingles. If someone who has had chicken pox picks up the virus again, they will have shingles.

I'm afraid you're wrong about exposure to chickenpox and shingles, and it's the reason why the vaccine is not routinely given in the UK.

Being exposed to chickenpox as an adult (for example, through contact with infected children) boosts your immunity to shingles

If you vaccinate children against chickenpox, you lose this natural boosting, so immunity in adults will drop and more shingles cases will occur

www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/chickenpox-vaccine-questions-answers/

Thanks riverwalk, I just assumed as both were the same virus one would trigger the other. Bodies are strange things, always doing the opposite to what you expect!