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Shingles vaccination

(14 Posts)
Grannyris Thu 26-Apr-18 10:36:17

Recently I had a shingles vaccination at my local surgery. A couple of days later I noticed a pain in my back, which I ignored for a few days until a cluster of spots appeared. So guess what - I have shingles which has now spread around to my chest! My doctor says it is nothing to do with the vaccination, although it was a live vaccine, but I am not convinced. It just seems such a coincidence. Has anyone else had this experience? Not that it makes much difference where it came from, it wouldn't make it any better, I am just curious.

tanith Thu 26-Apr-18 10:38:49

Sounds like too much of a blooming coincidence to me. Hope you get better quickly Shingles can be horrible.

Charleygirl Thu 26-Apr-18 11:02:23

I agree with tanith too much of a coincidence.

I was fine after having the shingles vaccine. I had shingles not long after I retired but I think it was caused by stress.

Izabella Thu 26-Apr-18 11:10:16

The incubation period is around 10-20 days. As your symptoms started around 2 days after the vaccination, it's coincidental. The vaccine itself is attenuated which means it is a weak version of the virus and its aim is to to boost the immune system - not to give you shingles.

Grandma70s Thu 26-Apr-18 11:36:43

I was very pleased to get the shingles vaccination. Even though no vaccination is entirely effective, it’s better than nothing. I had no ill effects at all.

Grannyris’s shingles is coincidental. It must have been contracted before you had the vaccine.

Grannyris Thu 26-Apr-18 20:31:17

Thanks for your input ladies - I think I should bow to the greater knowledge of the medical profession and accept that it’s coincidence. The last thing I want to do is start a shingles vacc scare!

BlueBelle Thu 26-Apr-18 20:55:26

Agree with other posters, what a coincidence
I had my shingles injection a fe2 years back with no ill effects

Franbern Sat 28-Apr-18 11:51:27

So wish I could have this vaccination. They method they have used to roll it out means that I will be close on 80 years before I become eligible.

kittylester Sat 28-Apr-18 16:50:36

I had it privately a few months ago as I have seen too many friends suffer really badly. I was not eligible to have it for two years on the nhs and wasn't prepared to risk getting it.

I had no side effects.

Grandma70s Sat 28-Apr-18 17:07:19

I was in the verge of going privately, kittylester, but then I held on with gritted teeth and had it on the NHS the day after my 78th birthday.

It should be more widely available on the NHS, but they have so many things to consider. Shingles doesn’t kill people (does it?), but I’ve seen it ruin lives.

grannyqueenie Sat 28-Apr-18 17:12:06

But always remember that it can be very dangerous, even fatal for anyone with a compromised immune system, e.g from chemotherapy.

Grandma70s Sat 28-Apr-18 17:32:48

The disease or the vaccine, grannyqueenie?

grannyqueenie Sat 28-Apr-18 18:08:33

Oh the disease, grandma70, that’s one of the reasons I’d go for the vaccine if I was offered it. My immune system’s fine but I have friends undergoing cancer treatment and I’d hate to pass anything onto them unwittingly.

harrigran Sat 28-Apr-18 18:58:53

I think that it is a coincidence, far too soon after the injection for the shingles to develop, probably already incubating it.
I had the injection as soon as my chemotherapy finished because I have already had shingles twice and it was months of agony.