New shingles vaccine - Shingrix

[O2Bfree]

I just thought to ask our insurer if they cover the Shringrix shot at age 50, and yes they started that coverage this year. So DH and I will start looking to get our first shots, or get on a waiting list. I'm 56 and he's 59.

 

[razztazz]

not to be a Debbie downer but are you sure you want to split this into two calendars years? Will it cost you more money?

Are you referring to insurance deductibles or something?

I consider this essentially a non-expense. Not enough to matter for budgetary purposes. In fact, I was going to just get them at full retail price but thought, IF I were to have had a bad reaction, the insurance wouldn't want to cover treatment for that that since they had not paid for the shot.

Worrying about money is for people who don't have enough money. This is a well-worth-it expense no matter what it costs. (Up to some reasonable limit, of course. I wouldn't pay $10,000 for it)

 

[ivinsfan]

Are you referring to insurance deductibles or something?

I consider this essentially a non-expense. Not enough to matter for budgetary purposes. In fact, I was going to just get them at full retail price but thought, IF I were to have had a bad reaction, the insurance wouldn't want to cover treatment for that that since they had not paid for the shot.

Worrying about money is for people who don't have enough money. This is a well-worth-it expense no matter what it costs. (Up to some reasonable limit, of course. I wouldn't pay $10,000 for it)

I was just curious that's all and I agree it wouldn't be a deal breaker for me. But I think you are misinformed about your insurance not covering a possible bad reaction. but better to be safe then sorry. I'm not poor but if I'd waited this long and waiting another week would save me some money I'd probably do it.

 

[lucky penny]

Yesterday when I went to my pharmacy (Walgreens/Duane Reade) for a flu shot & pneumonia shot #2, I asked afterwards about the shingles shot, as I've been doing for weeks. They had it! ("But don't tell anyone," the pharmacist said, "because we don't have much.") She told me to come back the next day & I just got it.

My left arm is still sore from yesterday's shots & based on the reports here I'm expecting consequences with this one. I'm a wimp, I admit, but glad I got it.

 

[razztazz]

Yesterday when I went to my pharmacy (Walgreens/Duane Reade) for a flu shot & pneumonia shot #2, I asked afterwards about the shingles shot, as I've been doing for weeks. They had it! ("But don't tell anyone," the pharmacist said, "because we don't have much.") She told me to come back the next day & I just got it.

My left arm is still sore from yesterday's shots & based on the reports here I'm expecting consequences with this one. I'm a wimp, I admit, but glad I got it.

I got dose #1 Thursday. Yes. Sore arm! Much more and longer lasting than just a flu shot. The amount of substance seemed larger than a flu shot. So, I guess if you pump the tissue full of stuff it'll hurt in proportion.

Onset of of muscle ache/joint pain apprx 5 hours after injection. Lasted 48 hours. Also, even though I was tired and had that 'coming down with something" malaise feeling, Thurs and Friday night I had trouble staying asleep. Was up and tossing/turning all night. Couldn't figure out why I'd have insomnia when I felt so depleted. Don't know if anyone else had that feature.

 

[lucky penny]

I got dose #1 Thursday. Yes. Sore arm! Much more and longer lasting than just a flu shot. The amount of substance seemed larger than a flu shot. So, I guess if you pump the tissue full of stuff it'll hurt in proportion.

Onset of of muscle ache/joint pain apprx 5 hours after injection. Lasted 48 hours. Also, even though I was tired and had that 'coming down with something" malaise feeling, Thurs and Friday night I had trouble staying asleep. Was up and tossing/turning all night. Couldn't figure out why I'd have insomnia when I felt so depleted. Don't know if anyone else had that feature.

Thanks for the heads up. Much easier to deal with discomfort when you know what to expect & the end is in sight.

 

[razztazz]

Thanks for the heads up. Much easier to deal with discomfort when you know what to expect & the end is in sight.

Yes. Knowing to brace for it helps. I was also thinking I might have picked up a cold/light flu a day or 2 before and the onset of symptoms coincided with the vaccine since I also had a bit of a runny nose too. I think that's a weak theory though. It was the shot.

I should throw in that I also was running an elevated heart rate. Mid to upper 70's bpm. My usual heart rates are low 50's-60's. That might have been simply due to feeling lousy and not related to the vaccine directly affecting my heart

 

[nhcycling]

My PCP has suggested to his patients that they wait a year or two as the trial was only a few hundred people and a good portion dropped out from side effects after the first shot and didn’t get the second shot.

 

[ivinsfan]

My PCP has suggested to his patients that they wait a year or two as the trial was only a few hundred people and a good portion dropped out from side effects after the first shot and didn’t get the second shot.

Any references to back this up? ….

 

[braumeister]

My PCP has suggested to his patients that they wait a year or two as the trial was only a few hundred people and a good portion dropped out from side effects after the first shot and didn’t get the second shot.

I suspect that he misunderstood what he read. It wasn't "a few hundred" but rather a few tens of thousands in the trial.

In clinical trials of more than 30,000 people, Shingrix was not associated with serious adverse events. However, local and systemic reactions were common among those who got the vaccine. More than 75% of people who got Shingrix reported at least some pain at the injection site. About 17% of patients who got Shingrix reported grade 3 reactions, which are severe enough to prevent normal activities. One in 10 reported grade 3 reactions due to pain or injection-site redness or swelling of at least 4 inches in diameter. Also, about 1 in 10 people who got Shingrix reported systemic effects that limited activity, such as myalgia, fatigue, headache, shivering, fever, or gastrointestinal illness.

Medscape: Everything You Need to Know About Shingrix

Speaking just for myself, I got the first Shingrix shot in October of this year and apart from a mildly painful (very mild) injection (which went away within five minutes), there was no reaction at all. I'm looking forward to getting the second shot in a few months, because I have had shingles and getting the immunization is quite likely to help prevent another episode of it. No way do I want to go through that again!

 

[travelover]

My PCP has suggested to his patients that they wait a year or two as the trial was only a few hundred people and a good portion dropped out from side effects after the first shot and didn’t get the second shot.

I'd get a second opinion from someone that has had the shingles.

 

[ivinsfan]

My PCP has suggested to his patients that they wait a year or two as the trial was only a few hundred people and a good portion dropped out from side effects after the first shot and didn’t get the second shot.

We just had a thread about cardio docs doing unnecessary things to make money, maybe your doctor wants to make more money on you after you get the shingles...

 

[lucky penny]

A day after getting the shingles shot, the side effects have been nil, just very mild, barely noticeable soreness in my arm. My other arm is more sore from a flu shot & pneumonia shot a day earlier, though it's starting to feel better.

Reactions obviously can vary depending on the individual. But definitely a lot better than full-blown shingles.

 

[Calico]

I'd get a second opinion from someone that has had the shingles.

^^^^This.

Many years ago I visited a senior member of my church at the time, who was housebound for weeks with a raging case of shingles. In spite of his condition he was determined to continue doing his work as a member of the Board, bless his heart.

I will never, ever forget the look of pain (and the blisters) on his face when he opened the door. He never complained for a moment, but I never forgot.

As soon as the shingrix vaccine was available here in spring of 2018 I got the first shot. Then I started hearing about shortages of the vaccine as I was approaching the time to get my second shot, and I was extremely lucky to get one of only 8 doses available at my CVS Minute Clinic two weeks before I began chemo treatments in early August. I was terrified of contracting shingles while I was immunocompromised during chemo treatments.

After the first shot I had pain for about 72 hours in that arm; after the second shot I had no reaction. I would have had the shots no matter what the side effects were. No side effects could compare to actual shingles IMHO.

 

[f35phixer]

Just got mine, little soreness but was able to golf next day. There were only two left, the shot administer said to come back in TWO months just in case they were low/out then you’ll have 4 months of wiggle room. Yes I have had friends too that got shingles hopefully this will prevent me from going through that PAIN.