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News Story on Shingles Vaccination
Old 12-17-2016, 12:57 PM   #1
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News Story on Shingles Vaccination

The NY Times has a story on shingles vaccination, a subject that has arisen before here. The story basically restates current CDC guidelines without digging much deeper into the science and evidence behind the guidance. The story was most useful to me in that the author provides updated information on the new "Shingrix" vaccine which is likely much more effective than the currently available vaccine. According to the story GlaxoSmithKine applied for FDA approval in October. If things go smoothly it might be available in 1-2 years.
In the "readers' comments" section the author addresses a question that has arisen here at ER-org in earlier discussion, namely whether one can safely get the current vaccine and then Shingrix when it becomes available later. The author says the CDC is now doing a study on this question but that their official guidance is for folks to get the current vaccine and not wait for Shingrex.

The "readers' comments" has some interesting discussion of the theory that the introduction of chicken pox vaccination for children actually contributed to the incidence of shingles in the older population - the idea being that repeated exposure to chicken pox may have acted like a vaccination for the population at risk for shingles. The author relays the CDC's view that this is unlikely - shingles incidence has been increasing for decades for unknown reasons but they see no special increase associated with the introduction of chicken pox vaccine in 1995, and the shingles increase is seen also in countries where the chicken pox vaccine is not widely available.

Anyways here is the link to the story (note The NY Times allows free access to 10 articles per month):

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/02/he...he-new-old-age
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Old 12-17-2016, 01:15 PM   #2
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Interesting.....I've also read that the original vaccine is less effective after 8 years or so, so maybe the Shingrex will come long as a booster.
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Old 10-21-2017, 12:56 PM   #3
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Shingrix was just approved by the FDA. The linked article talks about the process and sounds very hopeful that it will provide better protection than the current shingles vaccine.

https://www.statnews.com/2017/10/20/...cine-approval/
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Old 10-21-2017, 02:04 PM   #4
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I'll keep an eye on it as a booster since I had the Zosatvax vaccine at 55.
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Old 10-21-2017, 02:18 PM   #5
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A shingles outbreak can be very nasty. A good friend of ours recently had an outbreak with the rash spreading into her eyes. Rather than wait and see with the new Shingrix, I went ahead and got the Zostafax last week.
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Old 10-21-2017, 06:53 PM   #6
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I had Shingles in my early 50s (before I had the Shingles shot). It was the worst medical thing that ever happened to me. The pain was so awful I could not even drive for months, ran a temperature for months, had to take disability leave. Even now (15 years later) I still have some pain in the area I had the rash--around my waist. As soon as the doctor allowed me to I had the Shingle vaccine. I have since had Shingles a second time in a different are but it was much milder I guess because of the vaccine. I am interested to hear about the new Shingrix vaccine and I plan to investigate it.
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Old 10-21-2017, 07:03 PM   #7
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Wow, Harlee, I didn't know the outbreak could last for month.

I had a shingles shot about four years ago when I was 56. I have heard horror stories about having shingles and decided it was not worth the risk of waiting until I was 60 to get the shot.
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Old 10-21-2017, 08:08 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by candrew View Post
A good friend of ours recently had an outbreak with the rash spreading into her eyes..
I started this thread almost 13 months ago:

http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...les-83633.html

I'm still taking Prednisolone drops three times a week, (shingles infringement on the cornea), and although the Ophthalmologist says it's "Holding well" it's still there and it appears I may be on the drops indefinitely.
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Old 10-21-2017, 08:19 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by Nemo2 View Post
I started this thread almost 13 months ago:

http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...les-83633.html

I'm still taking Prednisolone drops three times a week, (shingles infringement on the cornea), and although the Ophthalmologist says it's "Holding well" it's still there and it appears I may be on the drops indefinitely.
Oh - wow! That's rough!
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Old 10-21-2017, 08:24 PM   #10
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Oh - wow! That's rough!
Ah....as Monty Python's Black Knight said..."I've had worse".
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Old 10-21-2017, 10:58 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by powerplay View Post
Shingrix was just approved by the FDA. The linked article talks about the process and sounds very hopeful that it will provide better protection than the current shingles vaccine.

https://www.statnews.com/2017/10/20/...cine-approval/
This is great : "Shingrix, which should be available to consumers before the end of the year, ....."

I'm going to wait for it, as it is so much more effective. I don't my insurance to say "we paid for the other one, so we aren't paying for this one".
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Old 10-22-2017, 05:43 AM   #12
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I'm very conservative about vaccines (haven't gotten flu or pneumonia vaccines for years) and really didn't like the fear-mongering in the shingles vaccine ads. What changed my mind was talking with a young (20-something) woman in the Geology class I took after I ER'd who reported that the previous weekend she'd had shingles and the pain was so bad she was in tears. That sold me and I got the vaccine. Will definitely talk to my doctor about the new one next time I see her.
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Old 10-22-2017, 06:13 AM   #13
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Had shingles in my early 50s and spent an agonizing week or ten days lying in bed in excruciating pain. Just an area on my lower back so nothing to really worry about, but a most memorable (forgettable?) experience.

I would highly recommend any shingles vaccine to anyone.
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Old 10-22-2017, 07:29 AM   #14
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This thread is motivating me to investigate this. Anyone know if Medicare w a supplement and drug plan typically covers this? I think when I asked pharmacy a few months ago I didn't get a clear answer. However, reading this I may just shuck out the ~$250 each for the two of us.
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Old 10-22-2017, 10:17 AM   #15
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This thread is motivating me to investigate this. Anyone know if Medicare w a supplement and drug plan typically covers this? I think when I asked pharmacy a few months ago I didn't get a clear answer. However, reading this I may just shuck out the ~$250 each for the two of us.
This should be easy to find out.
"The shingles shot isn’t covered by Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) or Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance). Generally, Medicare prescription drug plans (Part D) cover all commercially-available vaccines (like the shingles shot) needed to prevent illness. Contact your Medicare drug plan for more information about coverage."

https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/shingles-vaccine.html
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Old 10-22-2017, 11:34 AM   #16
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Mr. A. had shingles a few years ago, and that was enough to scare me. Oozy, raw, pimply, red, runny skin on his back. He went to the Dr. who took one look, said "Shingles, mild case" and wrote out an Rx. If that was "mild," I don't want to find out what the next level might be! Nope, nope, nope. Our insurance pays for one shot at age 60.

Lucky young people - never to have chickenpox, thus no shingles risk!
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Old 10-22-2017, 12:15 PM   #17
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This should be easy to find out.
"The shingles shot isn’t covered by Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) or Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance). Generally, Medicare prescription drug plans (Part D) cover all commercially-available vaccines (like the shingles shot) needed to prevent illness. Contact your Medicare drug plan for more information about coverage."

https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/shingles-vaccine.html

Found this on a AARP forum for Humana-Walmart Part D in 2014
part d and shingles vaccine

Message 6 of 6 (5,170 Views)
‎10-18-2014 09:40 AM
Humana part D, pays a whopping $30 towards a $225 immunization shot. Doctors office want the total amount and with part D thru Walmart/Humana drug plan, was quoted $195 at Walmart pharmacy. Big whoop. Does anyone know where to get it for less? Or should you wait until you have it?

Tommy K in Va.


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GoodRx has a chart of avg. deductibles for major Part D carriers
https://www.goodrx.com/zostavax/medicare-coverage

Looks like a bit of variation in co-pays.
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Old 10-22-2017, 01:28 PM   #18
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Lucky young people - never to have chickenpox, thus no shingles risk!
Not true. I used to think the same, and assumed I was immune to shingles since I never had chickenpox as a kid.

But the doc straightened me out on that. It seems that some kids have chickenpox but never show any symptoms of it at all. So that was me, and I paid the price later.
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Old 10-22-2017, 10:19 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by omni550 View Post
Found this on a AARP forum for Humana-Walmart Part D in 2014
part d and shingles vaccine

Message 6 of 6 (5,170 Views)
‎10-18-2014 09:40 AM
Humana part D, pays a whopping $30 towards a $225 immunization shot. Doctors office want the total amount and with part D thru Walmart/Humana drug plan, was quoted $195 at Walmart pharmacy. Big whoop. Does anyone know where to get it for less? Or should you wait until you have it?

Tommy K in Va.

GoodRx has a chart of avg. deductibles for major Part D carriers
https://www.goodrx.com/zostavax/medicare-coverage

Looks like a bit of variation in co-pays.
omni
It makes sense there is a variation in co-pays, since there is a variation in monthly plan costs.
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Old 10-23-2017, 07:26 AM   #20
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Not true. I used to think the same, and assumed I was immune to shingles since I never had chickenpox as a kid.



But the doc straightened me out on that. It seems that some kids have chickenpox but never show any symptoms of it at all. So that was me, and I paid the price later.


I requested an anti-body test to see if I'd had chicken pox and the test showed I did, so I got vaccinated for shingles.
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