Shingles Vaccination

[kimcdougc]

My Dr. suggested I get the vaccine last year at the age of 53. Insurance paid for all of it. Lots of drugstores in the Seattle area carry the vaccine. No side effects. Hopefully, no Shingles anytime ever.

 

[becca]

Got the shingles shot the day after I turned 60 (60 was when my insurance would pay for it). 11 months later I got the shingles, a mild case, 9 months after that I got the shingles again, also a mild case. So since I have gotten the shingles shot I have had the shingles twice! Kind of disconcerting but at least they were both mild cases which my doctor attributes to having gotten the vaccine.

 

[redduck]

...Here's my question. My doctor told me the shingles vaccine is good for 5 years. The pharmacist at Walgreens told DH one vaccine is good for life. Any chance of different vaccines? If not, who's correct - doctor or pharmacist?

The pharmacist is correct if you don't get shingles but should die within five years of getting the shot.

 

[Dreamer]

I got the shingles shot in my late 50's and my insurance paid for it. I had shingles in 08/14 and I am 61. I had one small spot on my back and it was extremely mild. I was so glad that I had the shot. The bad part was my second grandchild was born 8/18/14, so I stayed away from her for about 3 weeks. I did not want to take any chances of her getting them.

 

[martyb]

Yesterday, I mentioned to my primary care Dr. that I was thinking about getting the shingles vaccination. He said that he would do a test to determine my level of shingles antibodies, and if that level was high, then there was no need for me to get the shot, and he also said that if my antibody level was already pretty high, that getting the shot might even make me more likely to get shingles. I've never heard this stuff before. Has anybody else?

He showed me test results of another patient (blocking out their personal info) & pointed out that this patient tested with a high level of the antibodies already present in her system, so he recommended that she not get the shot. That was his example to me, in case my antibody test came back similarly high. I let them draw the blood for the test, & they are supposed to call me on Monday. I went ahead & got my flu shot.

 

[mickeyd]

I got the hit about 10 years ago and it must have worked as I have yet to come down with shingles. Received it from local military hospital,l so my cost was zero.