Shingles vaccine?

FastEddieB

FastEddieB

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Fast Eddie B
I had mine today. It's a new, more effective vaccine called Shingrix. The old vaccine was about 50% effective, the new one about 90% effective. Needs a single follow-up shot in 3 months.

Apparently shingles happens when chicken pox virus that had been dormant in cell bodies migrate out to nerve endings, causing a skin rash and nerve pain. If it occurs on the face it can lead to vision problems up to blindness.

It occurs more commonly in older people. I've never had it, but at 68 I'm in a high risk group.

I have a friend thats suffering from it now and its nasty, and something to be avoided if at all possible.

Anyone else had the vaccine or had shingles? Its all rather new to me.
 
Both. Fortunately a very mild case. Actually when I lived in Blue Ridge.
 
The CDC is recommending the new vaccine for folks over 50.

None of this was on my radar at all, except maybe some TV ads.

It’s probably a good idea.
 
Had shingles. It sucked and mine was a fairly mild case.
 
I have been thinking about asking my doc about it. Turning 60 next month so it's probably a good idea. Thanks for the reminder.
 
kgruber said:
I wonder if you should have the new if you've already had the old?
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Check with your Doctor first I would think. Mine also gave me a pneumonia booster. I'll ask her about the one Eddie's referring to tomorrow, flight physical time woo hoo!
 
Took the shot when it first came out,recommended by my PCP.
 
kgruber said:
I wonder if you should have the new if you've already had the old?
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Mine recommended the new one. I had the original one about 4 yrs ago. Unfortunately, I'm on hold until this fall due to upcoming surgery.
 
My doc recommended the vaccine a couple of years ago so I got it. I’m guessing that was the old one? How new is the new one?
 
kgruber said:
I wonder if you should have the new if you've already had the old?
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My Doc was emphatic! Yes get this Shingrix shot even if you had the old ZostaVax shot. I haven’t had my Shingrix yet, but I intend to soon! You don’t want to mess with Shingles!
 
mscard88 said:
Check with your Doctor first I would think. Mine also gave me a pneumonia booster. I'll ask her about the one Eddie's referring to tomorrow, flight physical time woo hoo!
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Last month I asked my doc about the shingles vaccine. The pneumonia shot was recommended as well as the shingles vaccine. Not sure which shingles vaccine they're using. Doesn't matter since I didn't get either. I think the doc forgot about it. Might have to look into it again.
 
Anymouse said:
Last month I asked my doc about the shingles vaccine. The pneumonia shot was recommended as well as the shingles vaccine. Not sure which shingles vaccine they're using. Doesn't matter since I didn't get either. I think the doc forgot about it. Might have to look into it again.
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I would.
 
BTW... Did some research on the CDC page...

Who Should Get Shingrix?

Healthy adults 50 years and older should get two doses of Shingrix, separated by 2 to 6 months. You should get Shingrix even if in the past you

  • had shingles
  • received Zostavax
  • are not sure if you had chickenpox
Shingrix reduces the risk of shingles and PHN by more than 90% in people 50 and older. CDC recommends the vaccine for healthy adults 50 and older.

There is no maximum age for getting Shingrix.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/shingles/public/shingrix/index.html

Looks pricey. But probably worth it.
 
Cool to see so many informed about the disease, the vaccine.
Mine is on order. Shingrix. (worry about beta testing vaccines but its a recombinant...and the disease is horrible; know several who have 'survived' it)
 
I thought you had to be much older to get the vaccine, did they reduce the age recommendation with this new batch? I had it about 12 years ago when I worked in a really stressful job with some of the worst miscreants I've ever known. Turns out I wasn't the only one that year and we were both about 40 YO. So stress can cause it to present so I was told. I was dizzy and felt ill before the rash appeared. Then it hurt like hell.
 
One of my colleagues got shingles in her face. Cost her an eye and some cranial nerves. She now looks like a cross between Sylvester Stallone and Moshe Dayan.
 
I remember my grandmother getting shingles. I don't know how bad it was, but she was one who didn't complain a whole lot about what bothered her.

Seems that shingles is worse than chicken pox. Like most of us I had it as a kid, had my 2 weeks with oatmeal baths and that was the end of that.
 
Mrs. Steingar had it, I though she had kidney stones. Nasty. I'll have to get that vaccine next time I see the doc myself. I'm old enough to be at risk now.
 
My doc recommended it and told me that (IIRC) 10-15% of shingles victims wind up with permanent neurological pain after. I've tried to get the shot a couple of times but apparently United Health won't pay for it until I'm 60. (I've asked "What's it cost if they don't pay?" but nobody seems to know the answer...)
 
steingar said:
Mrs. Steingar had it, I though she had kidney stones. Nasty. I'll have to get that vaccine next time I see the doc myself. I'm old enough to be at risk now.
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I think you can get it at a major Drug Store chain store with no Rx. -Skip
 
My brother-in-law had shingles so bad he contemplated suicide. He was completely covered, even in his ears and mouth. My sister is an RN and removed the firearms from their home while he was suffering. He found most relief being completely submerged in an oatmeal bath for hours at a time, breathing through a straw. Can't imagine that.
 
Had the vaccine (#1), then a mild case of shingles a couple of years later.

Am a vaccine skeptic, but will plan to get the new one.
 
Went for my flight physical a couple weeks ago, also my regular Dr. She said there's not enough case study/study, something like that, so she wasn't inclined to stick me.
 
jsstevens said:
My doc recommended it and told me that (IIRC) 10-15% of shingles victims wind up with permanent neurological pain after. I've tried to get the shot a couple of times but apparently United Health won't pay for it until I'm 60. (I've asked "What's it cost if they don't pay?" but nobody seems to know the answer...)
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Check with your local/county/state health dept. They'll have a clinic where you can get the shots, or provide info where it's available. Last I heard around here (Colorado), 2 shots, each $150 or so. Local health depts are great - they have details on all the immunizations for traveling, general health, etc. And because it's not allowed to make a profit, the shots are often cheaper.
 
murphey said:
Check with your local/county/state health dept. They'll have a clinic where you can get the shots, or provide info where it's available. Last I heard around here (Colorado), 2 shots, each $150 or so. Local health depts are great - they have details on all the immunizations for traveling, general health, etc. And because it's not allowed to make a profit, the shots are often cheaper.
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Good thought. I used the county health department to get immunized for international trips a couple of times. It was cheaper and relatively easy.
 
mscard88 said:
Went for my flight physical a couple weeks ago, also my regular Dr. She said there's not enough case study/study, something like that, so she wasn't inclined to stick me.
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Of course, consulting with your doctor is wise.

But if and when that advice differs from CDC recommendations, I’d think long and hard about getting a second opinion.

Shingles is SO nasty - and with possible lasting neurological effects - that I would want to err on the side of caution and get the damn vaccine.
 
FastEddieB said:
Of course, consulting with your doctor is wise.

But if and when that advice differs from CDC recommendations, I’d think long and hard about getting a second opinion.

Shingles is SO nasty - and with possible lasting neurological effects - that I would want to err on the side of caution and get the damn vaccine.
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Frankly, the CDC's opinions on vaccines are often not that great and will pretty much always err on the side of "more is better". They should still be consulted, but you should do your own research from multiple sources (not just a single source) and make a decision. The sources should, of course, be credible.

With that said, my (uninformed) opinion would be that I'd want to get the 2nd shingles vaccine regardless of whether I'd gotten the first or not. But at my age I have a while before it becomes a concern, and I hope they'll come out with a better vaccine for it by the time I get to the age where it's a good idea.
 
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