Shingles jab.

Even if you have had shingles fairly recently it is worth having the shingles jab. It is not common to have shingles often, but some people do... And the older you are, the nastier it is likely to be. You can get single dose Zostavax - free at GPs if you are in your 70s. Or if you are OK paying, double dose Shingrix - privately. NOTE : anyone over 50 is allowed to have these vaccines, but you have to pay if you are not in your 70s. My local chemist will sell and administer these jabs!

I have had my first Shingrix with the second one booked soon.
It is generally for the immuno compromised, which I am not, but I am allergic to Neomycin so cannot have live vaccines.
It is great that this is available for those of us with allergies.

Friends I was at school with turned 70 last year. One was determined I should have a shingles jab (I only had one though) and at every opportunity, I passed that information on.
After 70, you should gave a shingles jab.
^A vaccine to prevent shingles, a common, painful skin disease, is available on the NHS to people in their 70s. The shingles vaccine is given as an injection into the upper arm. Unlike the flu vaccine, you'll only need to have the vaccination once and you can have it at any time of the year.
Shingles vaccine overview - NHS
www.nhs.uk^

I’d had shingles - not very badly - a couple of years before having the jab. I had no side effects.

I had shingles next to my eye a few years ago. I had my shingles jab last Sept/Oct with only sore arm for couple of days. Dh had to have the non live version with 8wks between but it was k for me to have the live version. Just pleased we can have such injections.

I got my jab about 6 years ago but have been wondering about paying to get the new two-jab version which is felt to have a much stronger protection and be life long. Eldest daughter had a horrendous bout of shingles post-covid (in her early 50s) and was wretched.

To have the new version means paying a travel clinic privately (I'd much rather pay the NHS) the sweet side of £400 each. Our friends in Canada will pay about £80 each.

I’d give anything to be able to have it but I’m not yet 70. I’ve had shingles twice. Worst thing ever.

It's Shingles Awareness week 27 Feb to 5th March, so do your bit to tell any friends in their 70s about the jab.
(I got my jab early by taking part in a medical study.)

Just been offered the shingles jab this week. Definitely going to have it. Husband had shingles in his 40’s and passed it to me as chicken pox and was very ill.

I have every vaccine I can. Shingles and the pneumonia one, plus flu every winter, even though I have never had flu. As I understand every vaccine helps to beef up your immune system more generally and that cannot be a bad thing as we get older and our immune system is not as effective as it used to be.

Thanks everyone I will check when trying to get appointment

You can’t have the shingles jab before your 70th birthday, but definitely worth having if it’s offered.

I had to have the shingrix vaccination being immunocompromised. No problems with either jab except a sore arm. DH had to have it too as if he had the live vaccine it would put me at risk. He did have a rough couple of days after each dose which made me feel a bit guilty. Better than having shingles though,my Son in law has had shingles more than once and has been quite ill with it.

I had shingles about twelve years ago but the nurse advised me that I still needed the vaccine. Does that help?

The shingles vaccination is recommended for those in their 70s. However, the shingles vaccination is not recommended for the immunocompromised - it is a 'live' vaccine. There is also a vaccine called Shingrix which is not live and is suitable for the vulnerable in the same age group.

Shingrix is administered in two doses, at least 8 weeks apart. I had my second dose recently. I had a bit of a reaction for both injections, the first caused some redness and stiffness in the injected arm and I didn't feel great for a few hours. I wasn't too bad the second time.

I've seen family members miserable and in pain because of shingles, I wouldn't want to go through that unnecessarily.

If in doubt why not ask your GP or nurse?

When I went to our GP’s for my shingles jab I asked the Nurse if it was alright for me and would it awaken the shingles virus I had in my twenties.( It was along my sciatic nerve on my back, awful pain ).
She said it was even more important to have. I went ahead and was absolutely fine.
I certainly didn’t want shingles again so was very pleased there is now a jab available.