Shingles Vaccine Near Me

The shingles vaccine can reduce your risk of getting shingles and developing related complications such as long-term nerve pain. Knowing more about this vaccine and what it can do can help you make informed health decisions for yourself and your family members.

About the shingles

Shingles is a painful, blistering skin rash caused by the varicella-zoster virus. According to the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the varicella-zoster virus is the same virus that causes chickenpox.

Chickenpox remains inactive in your body after you’ve had it. You can get shingles if the chickenpox virus becomes active again, which usually occurs many years later, reports the NLM.

According to the NLM, the people at highest risk for developing shingles are those aged 60 years and older and who had chickenpox before the age of 12 months. You may also be at high risk for shingles if your immune system has been weakened by disease or medications.

Shingles Symptoms

The NLM reports that the primary symptom of shingles is a painful skin rash that usually develops on the spine and wraps around toward the front of the chest or abdomen. Some people may develop rashes on their faces around the eyes, mouth, and ears, adds the NLM.

According to the NLM, pain, tingling, and burning on one side of the body are symptoms that usually occur before any rashes appear. These sensations are followed by red patches on the skin and small blisters, which then break to form small, dry, crusty sores. Sores from shingles fall off within two to three weeks and do not usually cause scarring.

Other symptoms of shingles, according to the NLM, include:

• Fever and chills
• Headache
• Malaise
• Joint pain
• Muscle weakness
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Drooping eyelid
• Hearing loss
• Vision problems
• Taste problems

How to contract shingles

Shingles occur when the varicella-zoster virus reactivates in your body after you’ve had chickenpox. According to the CDC, you cannot contract shingles from someone else who has it. However, you can get chickenpox from someone who has shingles, which can increase your risk of getting shingles later on.

The NLM reports that no one knows why the varicella-zoster virus suddenly becomes active again years later. It adds that in some cases, many people who had mild cases of chickenpox are unaware they ever contracted the virus in the first place.

What vaccines can help prevent shingles?

Shingles may be prevented by getting two doses of the shingles vaccine called Shingrix. The Shingrix vaccine can also reduce your risk of complications from shingles, reports the CDC. It adds that this shingles shot is given in the upper arm and is more than 90% effective at preventing shingles in adults aged 50 years and older who have healthy immune systems.

Should I get the shingles vaccine?

The CDC recommends the shingles vaccine for adults aged 50 years and older and for adults aged 19 years and older who have weakened immune systems due to disease or medication therapy. It also recommends the shingles vaccine for those who have already had shingles and/or the chickenpox vaccine as well as those who have received another shingles vaccine called Zostavax that is no longer available in the United States.

What are the side effects?

The shingles vaccine may cause temporary side effects that affect your ability to perform normal daily activities for two to three days, reports the CDC.

Possible shingles vaccine side effects include:

• Sore arm with mild to moderate pain
• Redness and swelling at the injection site
• Tiredness
• Muscle pain
• Headache
• Fever and chills
• Stomach pain
• Nausea

The CDC adds that side effects are more common in younger people and that you might experience a reaction to the shingles shot after both doses. It recommends taking over-the-counter pain medicine such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen if you experience side effects from the shingles vaccine.

The CDC notes that another potential side effect of the shingles vaccine is Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). GBS is a rare but serious condition that causes your immune system to attack the peripheral nervous system that controls the nerves in your brain and spinal cord, reports the NLM.

Can I get a shingles vaccine if I’m younger than 50?

If you are younger than 50, you should only get the shingles vaccine if you are at least 19 years of age and have a weakened immune system due to disease or medications used to treat a disease, says the CDC. Consult with your primary care physician if you have any questions.

Will Medicare or my health insurance pay for a shingles vaccine?

The shingles vaccine is covered by most Medicare prescription drug plans like Part D but is not covered by Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) or Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance), reports Medicare.gov. The shingles vaccine may or may not be covered by your health insurance plan, depending on the type of policy you have. Contact Medicare or your health insurance company directly to find out whether the shingles vaccine is covered by your plan.