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Anyone like me and at 66 have to wait until 70 for a shingles vacination?

(130 Posts)
grassgreen Sun 12-Nov-23 14:09:36

I'm not understanding the logic of now giving shingles jabs to 65 year olds but not 66 to 69 year olds. Has anyone appealed to their GP and got the jab?

Marydoll Sun 24-Mar-24 12:10:14

As I posted earlier there is a vaccination programme recently started here in Glasgow to target those who are immunocompromised, regardless of age.
Someone with a bit of common sense.

RosiesMaw Sun 24-Mar-24 12:00:44

Joseann

Grrr, 🤬 🤬, would you believe it, we were out for my birthday and Mother's Day yesterday and now DGS has chicken pox today! angry Nothing I can do about it, computer says no to jab.

How often do we need to remind people- you don't get Shingles from Chickenpox - but you can get Chickenpox from Shingles if you haven't had Chickenpox.

maddyone Sun 24-Mar-24 11:46:16

I got it when I was seventy last year, but I got the one dose vaccination which is only 50% effective.
I don’t understand why they didn’t work downwards, so vaccinate all the 69s, then 68s and so on.

Marydoll Sun 24-Mar-24 11:37:49

Quinceblossom

I was offered the vac a few days ago while in for a nurse appointment for bloods. I decided to go ahead and was then surprised I have to have a second go in around 6 months. It’s no longer the one-off live vaccine. Have had a few random aches and pains since then but not sure if they’re related to the jab. I’m 71.

I had my Shingles Vax on 30th January and will receive the second dose on Easter Sunday at 9am! (Someone obviously hasn't checked their calendar and seen it is Easter! ) So not a six month gap!
I was very unwell after mine, but I always am after vaccines. Being immunosuppressed may have something to do with it.

Taffy1234 Sun 24-Mar-24 11:29:44

My G.P. told me they didn’t have enough vaccine for everybody so two ages were chosen at random. No scientific reason at all.
More would be included when more vaccine was available.

Quinceblossom Sun 24-Mar-24 11:24:21

I was offered the vac a few days ago while in for a nurse appointment for bloods. I decided to go ahead and was then surprised I have to have a second go in around 6 months. It’s no longer the one-off live vaccine. Have had a few random aches and pains since then but not sure if they’re related to the jab. I’m 71.

silverlining48 Fri 15-Mar-24 14:20:56

I hadn’t known about the research mentioned, yes it is annoying missing out.
I wish I had retired after 2016 instead of before because there is a £50 pw more post 2016 with no plans to close the gap between the two pensions. It does make a big difference.
Sorry about going off subject but it’s been on my mind a bit today.

Oldnproud Fri 15-Mar-24 14:02:10

I am guessing that starting vaccinating at 65 in the way that they are is the simplest method, the one that will take least planning and therefore be cheapest!

The alternative of vaccinating at 69 for a year, then at 68/69 etc. until they get down to 65 sounds a bit of a nightmare to me.

Supposing that people of 65 are likely to benefit just as much from the vaccine than the 66 - 69s, and the NHS either can't afford, or dont have the personel to vaccinate all 65 - 70 year olds in one year, (I don't know if that is the case), then it probably makes just as much sense to do the 'easiest' thing of doing people at 65.

But I can understand why people who have just missed out now annoyed. I would be too in that position.

Casdon Fri 15-Mar-24 13:15:06

Yes silverlining, but now there is evidence that there is more benefit to administer it at 65, why don’t they gradually lower the age at which people get it rather than leave out those people between 65 and 69? It makes no sense.

silverlining48 Fri 15-Mar-24 13:07:17

Until recently we all had to wait til 70.

Cossy Fri 15-Mar-24 11:23:26

I’m 65, have to wait til I’m 70!

RinseAndRepeat Fri 15-Mar-24 10:20:14

My wife and I had the two Shringrix injections last year. My wife is immunosuppressed so Shringrix was the only option for both of us as I didn't want to bring a live virus into our home.

We had our second doses after 2 months. Oddly, the NHS policy (second dose in the period 6 to 12 months) seems at odds with what is stated on the Gov.UK website:

Shingrix® requires a 2-dose schedule, with the second dose administered from 2 months (and ideally within 6 months) following the first dose. The 2 to 6 month bracket is also what is stated by the manufacturer and the American CDC.

There is a growing concern in the USA that many patients are not completing the course. My initial Shringrix jab left me out-of-action for 2 days, but with 90%+ protection compared to 51% for Zostavax protection having a second jab was a 'no brainer': yes, it did knock me out again.

One has to wonder whether the NHS will recall patients who have had Zostavax. This appears to be happening in the USA and many other countries?

Marydoll Fri 15-Mar-24 08:25:27

This explains it.

Who will get the shingles vaccine

From 1 September 2023, the vaccine programme is being offered to the following:

healthy people aged 70 to 79 years who have not yet been vaccinated
people aged 50 years and over with a severely weakened immune system
healthy people aged 60 to 70 years will become eligible for the vaccine over the next 5 years, when they turn 65 or 70 years

I am 68 and received it because I am immunocompromised.

silverlining48 Fri 15-Mar-24 08:20:34

I had mine at 70 five years ago. As far I knew everyone had it done at 70.

Suddenly this complicated list of different ages is confusing and irritating people because it seems so random.

Marydoll Fri 15-Mar-24 07:56:54

Believe it or not, I have been given an appointment for my second one at 9.05am on Easter Sunday!!!
Great timing.

BlueBelle Fri 15-Mar-24 07:53:29

I had my shingles (one jab only) at 70 so now at 79 going by other posts here, it’s no longer protecting me !!! I didn’t know that I was told it was for life.
(My friend had a very bad case of shingles in her face even though she had had the jab about a year before)

Bonnybanko Fri 15-Mar-24 07:29:50

Live

Bonnybanko Fri 15-Mar-24 07:29:32

Sorry guys I got my shingles jab at just over 60 but then I was in stroke recovery so it had to do with that and not where I luvedv

Bonnybanko Fri 15-Mar-24 07:24:50

I got my shingles jab at just over 60 but then I live in scotland where the nhs is doing this

jeanie99 Wed 13-Mar-24 00:18:48

My understanding is 80 year old's can't have it either.

Poppyred Mon 11-Mar-24 15:16:19

Someone gets paid shed loads to come with these ideas don’t you know.

Reubenblue Mon 11-Mar-24 15:00:22

I’m 69 and haven’t had the vaccination, I did enquire whilst seeing the nurse about asthma, but no I was told. Four weeks to my birthday and guess what I have shingles!

Joseann Mon 11-Mar-24 14:41:12

Grrr, 🤬 🤬, would you believe it, we were out for my birthday and Mother's Day yesterday and now DGS has chicken pox today! angry Nothing I can do about it, computer says no to jab.

lizzyb Mon 11-Mar-24 10:39:15

Me too. It's ridiculous isn't it.

LizzieDrip Mon 11-Mar-24 10:37:43

I’m in the group that has to wait until I’m 70. Call me a conspiracy theorist … but could this revised system be a cynical ploy by the government to make some people decide to have the vaccine privatelyconfused This would mean fewer people taking it via the NHS and money in the pockets of the private medical providers!