Shingles vaccine
in White House Station, NJ

The shingles vaccine can help reduce your risk of getting shingles and related complications, such as long-term nerve discomfort. Knowing more about this vaccine and what it can do for you and your family will help you make better health decisions for yourself and your family.

About the shingles

Shingles is a painful, blistering skin rash caused by the varicella-zoster virus. According to the National Library of Medicine, the varicella-zoster virus is the same virus that causes chickenpox (NLM).

Your body goes into dormancy once you've experienced chickenpox. According to the National Library of Medicine, the chickenpox virus can reactivate and produce shingles if it does so several years later.

According to the National Library of Medicine, people over 60 who had chickenpox before the age of 12 months are most likely to develop shingles. You may be more susceptible to shingles if your immune system has been weakened by illness or medicines.

Shingles Symptoms

According to the National Library of Medicine, the main symptom of shingles is a painful skin rash that starts on the spine and wraps around to the front of the chest or abdomen. Some people may develop rashes around their eyes, lips, and ears, according to the National Library of Medicine.

Before rashes appear, pain, tingling, and burning on one side of the body are common symptoms, according to the National Library of Medicine. Following these feelings, red skin patches and little blisters appear, which rupture open to form small, dry, crusty sores. Shingles sores usually heal in two to three weeks with no scarring.

According to the National Library of Medicine, other shingles symptoms include:

• Fever and chills
• Headache
• Malaise
• Joint pain
• Muscle weakness
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Drooping eyelid
• Hearing loss
• Vision problems
• Taste problems

How to contract the shingles

The varicella-zoster virus reactivates in your body after you've had chickenpox, resulting in shingles. According to the CDC, you cannot receive shingles from someone else who has it. Chickenpox can, however, be contracted from someone who has shingles, increasing your chances of developing shingles later.

According to the National Library of Medicine, no one knows why the varicella-zoster virus suddenly becomes active again years later. According to the findings, many people who had mild cases of chickenpox are unaware they even had the virus in the first place.

What vaccines can help prevent shingles?

Two doses of the Shingrix shingles vaccination can prevent shingles. The Shingrix vaccine, according to the CDC, can also reduce your risk of shingles complications. According to the business, this shingles shot, which is given in the upper arm, is more than 90% effective in preventing shingles in people 50 and older with a good immune system.

Should I get the shingles vaccine?

The CDC recommends shingles immunization for adults aged 50 and up, as well as those aged 19 and up, who have compromised immune systems as a result of disease or pharmaceutical therapy. It also recommends having the shingles vaccination if you've had shingles and/or chickenpox in the past, as well as if you've had another shingles vaccine called Zostavax, which is no longer available in the United States.

What are the side effects?

The shingles vaccine, according to the CDC, can induce temporary side effects that make it difficult to accomplish ordinary tasks for two to three days.

The following are some of the possible shingles vaccine side effects:

• Sore arm with mild to moderate pain
• Redness and swelling at the injection site
• Tiredness
• Muscle pain
• Headache
• Fever and chills
• Stomach pain
• Nausea

According to the CDC, side effects are more common in younger people, and you may have a reaction to the shingles injection after both doses. It is recommended that you take over-the-counter pain medicines such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen if you experience side effects after getting the shingles vaccine.

According to the CDC, another possible side effect of the shingles vaccine is Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). GBS is a rare but dangerous illness in which your immune system targets the peripheral neurological system, which controls the nerves in your brain and spinal cord, according to the National Library of Medicine.

Can I get a shingles vaccine if I’m younger than 50?

According to the CDC, you should only get the shingles vaccine if you are at least 19 years old and have a weakened immune system due to disease or medications used to treat a disease if you are under 50 years old and have a weakened immune system due to disease or medications used to treat a disease. Consult your health-care professional if you have any concerns.

Will Medicare or my health insurance pay for a shingles vaccine?

The shingles vaccine is covered by most Medicare prescription drug plans, such as Part D, but not by Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) or Medicare Part B, according to Medicare.gov (Medical Insurance). Your health insurance plan may or may not cover the shingles vaccine, depending on the type of policy you have. To see if the shingles vaccine is covered under your plan, contact Medicare or your health insurance provider.