Shingles

I missed the vaccine for shingles at the first roll out , I fell between the age groups every time it was offered , I’m now too old ( ! ) for it ?‍?

I’ve not long ago had the shingles vaccine.
over 70s are being offered it as a matter of course better than getting the shingles so I’m led to believe.
So get it.

You can’t “catch” shingles from chickenpox, but you can get chickenpox from someone with shingles if you have never had chickenpox or the vaccine. I had the shingles vaccine with no side effects. Like most vaccines I think, if you are able to have it, the side effects are not generally as severe as the disease you are aiming to prevent.

My mother had shingles in the late 70s immediately after having radiotherapy for breast cancer - she had had a mastectomy. She had a really bad dose and the district nurse went every day to dress the area - top of her chest and shoulder. She never totally recovered from them for the remaining 20 years she lived. Could not wear many tops because the facing touched on particular nerves.
When my son got a dose aged about 20 he was given a cream to put on it and they cleared up quickly. DH had them too - in France one summer - and was given cream and a lotion - all cleared within a fortnight.
I thought that with the viral creams etc they had now shingles cleared quickly - I am amazed to read these stories still.

I had the shingles vaccine which is free here when you turn 70. I waited for a while because my husband had a really bad reaction to it but I didn’t react at all. He was vomiting, headaches,shivering etc. almost immediately after the vaccine.

I have had shingles twice. The first time was in the roof of my mouth. This wasn't diagnosed as shingles at the time but my dentist took a photo of it and my Oral Meds Consultant at the hospital told me what it was. The second time I got it round the right side of my waist. By the time I realised what it was and saw my GP, I was told it was too late to receive anti-virals.

In 2019, I was diagnosed with my first NH Lymphoma. Before I started chemo, I was put on 400mg Acyclovir twice a day and as I am still receiving treatment, I have to take it for the rest if my life.

Welshwife You have to take the anti-virals early on for them to be effective, so if it is not diagnosed quickly as shingles you may have missed the boat.

Yes. I gathered that from reading the posts. We were never offered the vaccine against shingles although we were in U.K. when we would have been the right age - all info about the vaccine completely passed me by!

Unless you've previously had chickenpox you can't get Shingles. The chickenpox virus remains dormant in your system. I had shingles a few years ago on the base of my ear and neck it's extremely painful. If you"re unlucky enough to get Shingles then you need to contact a GP as soon as possible and be prescribed some tablets to help to prevent it spreading to other areas. I was offered the Shingles jab about 3 years ago, when I told the nurse that I had had shingles before, she told me you can get it more than once, she had been unlucky enough to get it twice herself.
I believe people who have never had chickenpox though, can catch that from someone who has Shingles.

My GP vaccinated me against shingles about 4 years ago when I was in my late 50’s. This was after having had a 3rd bout within less than a year. I was very lucky that he agreed to my request.

I posted on the "chicken pox doing the rounds" post this morning urging all to get the vaccine if possible. I'm five weeks in with shingles and, although the rash has gone, the pain & development of PHN, as other posters have said, is horrendous. Also the fatigue. Apparently, there is anecdotal evidence that the chicken pox virus lurking in our systems, if we've ever had it, is being reactivated by the dreaded covid/long covid. It might be coincidental but shingles came on two weeks after I'd had my second jab

It may indeed be coincidence but four people I know of roughly our sort of age , have all had shingles in the last three months.
So it sounds plausible

A pharmacist told me that several people she’d vaccinated had developed shingles. Having said that I’m going to be vaccinated the minute I hit 70. Shingles is mentally debilitating as well as physical and I really don’t want it!

Thank you for the info MawBe and MayBee70. Without wishing to add to any antivacc views, it may be something to be aware of if anyone starts to feel ill post jab because, as Elegran pointed out upthread, the antivirals need to be taken fairly rapidly at the onset to mitigate the severity of shingles.

Better shingles than Covid and honestly while I said four people- I didn't say how many DOZENS had not developed it. But I agree, be aware, if diagnosed early enough anti-virals work wonders. I had it in my head years ago and it was pretty bad, Paw despite being immunosuppressed did not catch it from me but our doctor prescribed acyclovir for him as a precaution.

Nannee49

Thank you for the info MawBe and MayBee70. Without wishing to add to any antivacc views, it may be something to be aware of if anyone starts to feel ill post jab because, as Elegran pointed out upthread, the antivirals need to be taken fairly rapidly at the onset to mitigate the severity of shingles.

Absolutely. And because they’re quite expensive some dispensing doctors don’t keep many in stock. 800 mg One tablet 5 times a day ASAP!

Same as BlueBell here - ‘flu jab in one arm, shingles in the other at the same appointment . No reaction to either.

I had the shingles jab a few weeks ago and had no reaction whatsoever. If offered I would accept it if I were you.

I have just changed GP practices and they were very surprised that I had not been offered it before (I am 72).....ditto the pneumonia jab which they also gave me - again no after-effects of any kind.

It's worth mentioning that anyone with a suppressed immune system, on chemo therapy for instance, shouldn't have the shingles jab because it's a live vaccine. They have to rely on taking antivirals instead.

I hadn’t realised they were vaccinating the over 70’s. It always seemed to be random ages none of which applied to me. Nearly there then. Woohooo….

Deedaa

It's worth mentioning that anyone with a suppressed immune system, on chemo therapy for instance, shouldn't have the shingles jab because it's a live vaccine. They have to rely on taking antivirals instead.

Which was what I was describing.

Again, many thanks for your helpful information!
Jab booked for Friday week!?

I had shingles January, and I'm still having trouble with it!

The original rash went from my spine, round my chest and stopped at my sternum.

I now have Post Herpetic Neuralgia, which is rather painful.

The original shingles rash, which blisters and looks horrendous, has left scars and discoloured patches on my skin, but as Im not planning on displayinga myself in a bathing costume, I'm not bothered.

No reaction to having the shingles vaccine just a sore arm well you’re getting stabbed with a needle so it’s to be expected nothing to write home about

I too had shingles jab in one arm and
Pneumonia in the other when I was 70. No side effects!