New Shingrx Shingles Vaccine

CaptTom said:
I'm glad the media is pushing vaccinations. It helps all of us.

Last year something like 80,000 people died from the flu. Vaccination rates were down.

It's always easier to spread fear, uncertainty and doubt than facts. Kudos to the media for trying.
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+1
 
My wife and I just got shot #1 yesterday afternoon. It seems that the supply might be slightly higher in our area now that the first wave finally got shot # 2. Neither of us had any reaction other than a slightly sore shoulder. It was 100% covered by our insurance (Cigna). If not covered, it would have been $225 each.

-Wino
 
My #1 was a piece of cake. #2 put me down for an entire day. It seems that it's different for different people.
 
DW has been waiting for shot #2 since last May. She finally got it yesterday and I got #1. I had a little bit of a sore shoulder overnight and this AM.
 
DrRoy said:
DW has been waiting for shot #2 since last May. She finally got it yesterday and I got #1. I had a little bit of a sore shoulder overnight and this AM.
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Well passed the recommended time window for shot number two which around 6 months.

I asked at my somewhat local Sam's last December and they said they had two waitlists, for 2nd shot and 1st shot but they both were very long. But I could get on to "hold a spot". I stupidly said No since I figured the supply situation would start improving.

Asked again last week and the situation is not improved with the list for second shots still VERY long. Was told they expect this mess to continue well into 2020.
 
Just got shot #2 from Duane Reade. I got the first in late December & when it was time for the second they didn't have it, so I was put on a wait list. I thought I'd have to keep checking, but after 2 weeks of waiting they called me yesterday.

I had no reaction at all to shot #1 & none (so far) to the second. The pharmacist said it's not unusual for someone to have more of a reaction to #2.

The pharmacist said all the local Duane Reades just got a limited supply. Some have wait lists, some don't.
 
A week after I qualified for Medicare last fall I had first shot combined with flu vaccination. I felt punky for a day & vowed never to combine vaccines again. This January I had the second shot and had about the same reaction. I seldom have reactions to vaccinations. Well worth it for the protection. No cost through our insurance company as all vaccines are free with Medicare. The vaccines were available both days without a wait. I really appreciate Medicare.
 
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Funny thing, I'd forgotten all about the shots, and this thread, until I got the call Friday that I could get my #2 shot. I'd gotten that in late October, but I guess they didn't cross me off the list.

For the record, my left arm, right where I got those two shots plus my flu shot, is still a tiny bit sore. Sort of deep-down but not really bad pain. It comes and goes. Probably totally unrelated, but it's something I'd never had before all those shots.
 
We just got the #1 shots. My poor wife came down with an attack a week or two later, but fortunately, the vaccine minimized the impact. She was miserable for about week,, but it never progressed past the redness stage.
 
Souschef said:
We just got the #1 shots. My poor wife came down with an attack a week or two later, but fortunately, the vaccine minimized the impact. She was miserable for about week,, but it never progressed past the redness stage.
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Great news for your DW!!:greetings10:
 
I got it today. No cost due to insurance. I had been putting it off until a coworker called in sick with shingles and described first hand the symptoms. immediately called around until I found a pharmacy that had the vaccine and went out at lunch time to get it. No side effects.
 
Just got Costco shot #1 after waiting since October.

Think it cost $142 and insurance fully covered.
 
How can I find the 2nd shot? DH and I got the first shot about 6 months ago at Walgreens. We were put "on the list' for the second shot. We have been contacting Walgreens about the 2nd shot for months and we have been told they have not been able to get the shots, we are still "on the list." When we asked we were told the "list" for the second shot has 500 names on it. We have also put our names on the list at several other local pharmacies (many pharmacies are saying they are not even keeping a list anymore). Our doctor also put us on the list in his office but he says they never get any Shingrix shots anymore even though they keep putting in orders.

How can we find our 2nd shot? I have contacted the manufacturer, did not get anywhere. How long can we wait to get the second shot? Will we have to start all over again?

Are there some parts of the country that are getting more shots? Should we try to get the shot in some other area? We have alot of retirees in our area and evidently everyone is trying to get the shots.
 
harllee said:
How can I find the 2nd shot? DH and I got the first shot about 6 months ago at Walgreens. We were put "on the list' for the second shot. We have been contacting Walgreens about the 2nd shot for months and we have been told they have not been able to get the shots, we are still "on the list." When we asked we were told the "list" for the second shot has 500 names on it. We have also put our names on the list at several other local pharmacies (many pharmacies are saying they are not even keeping a list anymore). Our doctor also put us on the list in his office but he says they never get any Shingrix shots anymore even though they keep putting in orders.

How can we find our 2nd shot? I have contacted the manufacturer, did not get anywhere. How long can we wait to get the second shot? Will we have to start all over again?

Are there some parts of the country that are getting more shots? Should we try to get the shot in some other area? We have alot of retirees in our area and evidently everyone is trying to get the shots.
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I would say keep calling pharmacies and asking if they have the shot in. Call everyone even independent pharmacies. The supply issue has been crazy. The problem is not only is everyone who received zostavax are being told to get re-immunized with Shingrix but the age has dropped to 50 years old increasing the number of possible patients to huge numbers. Not to mention you need two shots (both shots are the same stuff) which automatically doubles the amount of demand!!

What I have been told is that each pharmacy chain is being given a ration of shingrix every few weeks, it is then doled out to each pharmacy by their respective buyers. i.e. every few weeks WalMart gets 150 shots and those 150 shots are divided out to 30 Walmart(s) in the area so each Walmart gets 5 shots (assuming they all get equal amounts) which then is doled out by the pharmacy. I can tell you that for us, we place priority to the patients who received their first shot from us and those who have had the longest time from the 1st shot.
Supposedly GSK is in process of bringing another manufacturing facility online by this Fall so there will be some relief by the end of this year.

The current literature states that you still only get the second shot if you miss the 6 month deadline, so if you miss it by a year you still only get the 2nd shot. Having said that, I wouldn't be surprised if there is a recommendation to get another shot at year 10 or something, guess we'll find out when those long term studies come out.

I wouldn't go out of my way to travel and find a immunization, but if I were already travelling and visiting other places, I would stop by or call some local pharmacies and see if they have the shot on hand. One of the pharmacies I fill in at part time have a few more shots than at my FT pharmacy job. The last few times I worked there, they were taking walk ins for shingrix shots.
 
Ronnieboy, thanks for the advice. I will keep calling. This is turning into a part time job! The Walgreens where we got the first shot has not been very helpful in helping us find the second shot, they say they order the shots every day and never receive any.

My sister lives in a small town a couple of hours from me that seems to have more supply of the shot so maybe I will start contacting pharmacies there.

About 15 years ago when I was in my early 50s and had not had any type of shingles vaccine I got a really BAD case of the shingles. I was in such pain I could not leave the house for a month and even now 15 years later I have some pain in the area where I had the rash so I know how important the vaccine is. My DH had shingles around his eye a few years ago, even thought he had had the old shot, very scary. I just wish the manufacturer could somehow increase the supply before the end of the year.
 
Call as many pharmacies as you can and get on everyone's waiting list. I have had several call backs since I got the shot from other pharmacies so they are getting it on a periodic basis.
 
Thanks we are on at least 10 local pharmacies waiting list (several like CVS don't keep a waiting list, they said they are not getting enough shots to even mess with a waiting list). We are going to start calling pharmacies in more rural areas to see if we can get on their waiting lists. We are spending at least an hour a day on this. Not how I intended to spend my time in retirement! Hah!
 
harllee said:
Ronnieboy, thanks for the advice. I will keep calling. This is turning into a part time job! The Walgreens where we got the first shot has not been very helpful in helping us find the second shot, they say they order the shots every day and never receive any.

My sister lives in a small town a couple of hours from me that seems to have more supply of the shot so maybe I will start contacting pharmacies there.

About 15 years ago when I was in my early 50s and had not had any type of shingles vaccine I got a really BAD case of the shingles. I was in such pain I could not leave the house for a month and even now 15 years later I have some pain in the area where I had the rash so I know how important the vaccine is. My DH had shingles around his eye a few years ago, even thought he had had the old shot, very scary. I just wish the manufacturer could somehow increase the supply before the end of the year.
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I know it doesn't help, but from what I have been told by the manufacturer, they are running the current plant 24/7 and according to this article the new (repurposed) plant in France has been FDA approved earlier this year. So hopefully supply will be increasing sooner than later.

The other key factor is how long does it take to make a dose of the vaccine? If its a month long process to make each batch, that doesn't help. I'll have to ask the drug rep next time they come in, if they do come again because they don't like us asking the same questions (When can we get more, what is taking so long, etc.).

I did find out it is every two weeks that GSK does their 'allocation' of shipments.

Most of the people I immunize either have had the shingles (like you and your DH) or have heard the horror stories about the shingles. Luckily I got my vaccination on my 50th as a bday present to myself and before the big demand on supply.

It is also interesting to see the people who balk/hesitate to get the vaccine when/if their insurance doesn't pay or pays very little towards the cost. I can usually tell who has or hadn't had shingles before or didn't have a close experience with them because those patients that have, don't hesitate to pay whatever they have to to get the shot ;)
 
harllee said:
Thanks we are on at least 10 local pharmacies waiting list (several like CVS don't keep a waiting list, they said they are not getting enough shots to even mess with a waiting list). We are going to start calling pharmacies in more rural areas to see if we can get on their waiting lists. We are spending at least an hour a day on this. Not how I intended to spend my time in retirement! Hah!
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This post convinces me of my decision to wait until this mess clears a little. 10 different waiting lists and an hour a day. It's not your fault but do you realize how much of everyone else's time you are using. What a disaster this roll out has been.

If I ran a pharmacy I would only put people on the list for the second shot if I had given them the first shot. Talk about chaos. If it helps at all everything I've read says that if you have a bad case of the shingles it's a booster to your immune system and you chance of a second case is pretty low
 
ivinsfan said:
If I ran a pharmacy I would only put people on the list for the second shot if I had given them the first shot. Talk about chaos. If it helps at all everything I've read says that if you have a bad case of the shingles it's a booster to your immune system and you chance of a second case is pretty low
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Not to mention since Harllee has had the first shot and a bad case of the shingles before, she is better protected than someone without either incidence.
 
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