irwin7638

They told me to get the vaccine since I had had chicken pox as a child. I couldn't see a reason not to.

Marc

ltxi

Shingles vaccination is a no brainer. Doc made me get it a few years ago. Can't speak to under 60 as I was already over at the time but my PPO Blues plan wouldn't cover it. TriCare, however, did. No co-pay/100%

TheManShow

if you had Chicken Pox as a child you had better have the shot. As you are a prime candidate for shingles.

JanMM

Complicated, isn't it? For sure, the kids who are vaccinated against chickenpox and then don't get chickenpox will not suffer from shingles later on. Eventually, most adults will have received chickenpox vaccine as kids and there will be less chickenpox and fewer shingles cases. That's assuming most kids get the vaccine.
In the meantime, as long as there are adults who had chickenpox as kids, there will be shingles cases. Shingles vaccine can lessen the number and severity of those cases. There will always be a number of people unvaccinated against chickenpox. Harder to catch chickenpox from a shingles lesion than from someone suffering from chickenpox. And you can't 'catch' shingles.

zonatandem

We both had the vaccine about 10 years after we had a couple neighbors really suffer with the shingles.
If I recall, insurance would not pay for the shots and cost us but $600 out of pocket the 2-of-us .

August West

I was in Costco Friday and asked the pharmacist about the shingles vaccine. He told me they stock it and all you have to do is fill out an immunization form if you are over 60. Under 60, you need a prescription in AZ. Said the state is way behind the times (big surprise there) because the CDC now recommends the vaccine at 50. The cost was $206. Since I'm a few weeks away from the big six-0 I am going to have to wait to get the shot but will stop back by and in Sept. for sure.

hig4s

It is not the insurance companies that recommend waiting until 60 to have the vaccine, it is the CDC. They recommend everyone should get it at 60 and between 50 and 59 to consult with your doctor.
BECAUSE, it is a ONE TIME only vaccine that is extremely effective for 5 years then protection decreases and the highest percentage of occurrences are between 60 and 65 and effects get worse as you get older, so if you get it early you MAY not be properly protected at the age when it is most likely to occur and when its complications become greater.

rubic

I got the Shingles vaccination a little over a year ago. Then this last February, I got the Singles. However, it was a mild case with no residual neurological pain. I'm quite sure the vaccine kept the outbreak to a mild attack.

Up North

Not true - vaccination can be taken every 7 years.

B. Carfree

I got shingles about eight years ago. I happened to be at the dermatologist for something else and showed my PA these spots that had shown up that day. She of course gave me the somewhat expensive prescription to fill to reduce the severity of post-herpetic neuralgia. I rushed out and filled it. Then I looked up the structure and decided to take my chances with the neuralgia. (I'm not a big fan of ingesting likely mutagens.) Lucky for me, I had no issues with the shingles.

Of course I figured I'd get the vaccination at the appropriate time after that episode. Naturally, I put it off and got a second case of shingles four years later. Maybe this thread will get me off the mark and I'll get it done before my little friends come out to party again.

By the way, the prescription to reduce the severity of the neuralgia is the same drug given for herpes simplex 2. The cute young pharmacist was blushing a bright red as she began to explain the drug to me. I told her it was for shingles and she visibly relaxed. Poor kid. They obviously didn't do the training with annoying patients and their embarrassing ailments at her pharmacy school that I was party to at the medical school I worked at.

Gnosis

I thought the title of the thread said “Singles Vaccine” (forgot my reading glasses). I was thinking; “Man, the wonders of Modern Medicine. Now they even have a cure for being single!"

hig4s

directly from the CDC webpage : Vaccines: VPD-VAC/Shingles/Shingles (Herpes zoster) Vaccination: What You Need to Know
"CDC recommends Zostavax for use in people 60 years old and older to prevent shingles. This is a one-time vaccination. . . . Protection beyond 5 years is uncertain; therefore, adults receiving the vaccine before age 60 years might not be protected when their risks for shingles and its complications are greatest."

Up North

i take that to mean your Government only wants to pay once. In Canada we can get it at any age ( they do suggest 60 and older) and it has roughly 7 yr effectiveness. It can be repeated every 7 yrs. free if over 65 prior to that $200.00 without drug plan $32.00 on my plan.

volosong

For west coast folks, if your medical insurance is with Kaiser Permanente, they will cover the cost of the inoculation.

Had to ask for it though. They didn't volunteer giving it to me without me asking.

hig4s

government doesn't pay here, everyone has to have their own insurance or pay themselves. And it has only existed 7 years, and they do not know for sure how long it lasts.

rydabent

I got the shot almost a year ago. I had no side effects at all. Not even pain at the injection site.

CrankyFranky

I got Zostavax a few years ago, and suggested my wife do it too. Cost us $200 each. Cheap insurance, even if it is not complete protection. Just like a helmet.

I may be mistaken, but I think that I heard recently that there is a newer vaccination for zoster out there which purportedly confers better protection. Anyone know anything about this?

TCR Rider

I couldn't think of a reason not to get it. A former co-worker had it and he really suffered for a long time. As soon as I heard about it I went to my PCP and got it. Covered by my insurance. The wife makes me crazy as she keeps dragging her heels and keeps putting it off.

JanMM

Only the one shingles vaccine is available (as far as I know) - are you thinking of the newer pneumonia vaccine, PCV13 or Prevnar 13? Those of us of a certain age now need both that and PPSV23 or Pneumovax, but not at the same time.

coastalrider

I had shingles about 7 years ago. Not a terrible case but definitely took a couple of weeks off of work to get back. I had classical presentation from back to torso around the nipple line. Luckily not near my face. I thought that once you had shingles and recovered from the symptoms you couldn't get it again? Have not gotten the vaccine because of that but am thinking otherwise after reading the posts in this thread.

Latif

I'm 65 and just had a very mild case this summer and wasn't able to get the antiviral for a few days.It still cleared it mostly up after 7 days of taking the drug. I had two docs, both friends, one retired and one a young dermatologist that both said that getting it at my age should confer protection for the rest of my life.Never had the vaccine. Feeling very fortunate when hearing all the horror stories.

rydabent

Since most people have some kind of insurance, I guess I ask why not get a shingles shot? It brings peace of mind, since it pretty much precludes getting shingles. I know it is not 100% but few things are.

ltxi

^ Well, when I got it a good number of years back, at age 65 and on my doc's advice, my high end PPO Blues plan refused to cover it. Go figger. Ret military and TriCare picked it up 100% as good sense preventive maintenance. Woulda paid the few $ hundred out of my own pocket if needed but I'm sure that's not an easy option for everyone.

bakes1

Do people on the MD forums ask for and receive large doses of cycling advice from doctors...

I-Like-To-Bike

My medicare B primary insurance would not pay for a shingles vaccination, but my Blue Cross secondary did pick up the entire several hundred dollar cost.