Shingles Jab

One jab, between 70 and 80 is what I was told.

You should have it. My DH caught shingles nearly 4 years. The pain in is shoulder started a few days before the rash and so we thought he'd pulled a muscle. He woke up one morning with a rash. We went to A & E where shingles was diagnosed and we got medication that day.

He is still suffering from PHN (post herpetic neuralgia) despite many different treatments. Some days the pain is very debilitating and others it's not quite so bad. On Saturday we are collecting from the pharmacy a new machine that is being rented to him.

I had shingles when I was 38 and the nerve pain around my waist lasted for 2 years. The older you get the longer the pain can last.

There are older threads about this and many people, even elderly, have not suffered too much but there are many like my DH and some never get over it. Some specialists believe that even though the nerve endings have been destroyed, the brain doesn't recognise this and still transmits pain messages.

I delayed having it because my husband had a very bad reaction to it. However, I experienced absolutely no reaction and it was not nearly as painful as flu jabs or Covid jabs. I had a very mild dose of shingles a year earlier but I wouldn’t have even known what it was except for the blistery spots and the distribution round my waist.

I had shingles a few years ago - not nearly as badly as some people have it, but still unpleasant, with a painful rash.,

I had the jab as soon as it was offered - no reaction at all.

I've never had one and never been offered one. Should I do something about it?

I've been meaning to do something about it myself henetha. I keep seeing an advert on my FB feed and now this thread. I'm going to ask for one.

I was contacted just after my 70th birthday (during lockdown) to have it and agreed immediately. Having suffered Shingles twice (aged 19 and 62), I knew how unwell one could be and especially the pain of PHN which seemed to recur whenever I was tun down from 1969 onwards!

run, not tun! 🙄

Good luck sparklefizz. I'll be interested to hear how you get on. I think my doctor has emigrated.

Even if you have had shingles before - even if it was fairly recently - it is worth having the shingles jab. It is not common to have shingles often, but some people do... And the older you are, the nastier it is likely to be. You can get single dose Zostavax - free at GPs if you are in your 70s. Or if you are OK paying, double dose Shingrix - privately. NOTE : anyone over 50 is allowed to have these vaccines, but you have to pay if you are not in your 70s. My local chemist will sell and administer these jabs!

veejay

I think you have to be a certain age to have it,like 70 and then 78 or something

I think you used to be one of two ages when they first started vaccinating people ( I never seemed to be the right age even though I really wanted the vaccine) but now I think you just have to be over a certain age.

I think the age is 70. I had it with a pneumonia jab in the other arm. Had no problem.

I had the jab a couple of weeks ago. No reaction to it.
I remember a cousin of mine that got shingles in his head and eyes and can recall the acute pain that he went through - it made such an impression on me and I never want to experience pain like that if there is something that I can do to prevent it so I had the jab.

I had the jag last year.
Afterwards I got a few of the 'tiny electric shock' feelings that I got when I had shingles a few years ago.
I'm sure the jag caused them but they were very mild and stopped quite soon.

I'm having my second Singles jab next week. I didn't have reaction to the first other than an achy arm for a day or two. I have had Shingles twice and wouldn't want it again so very pleased to be offered the jab. I had the Spring Covid Booster on Tuesday again no reaction other than people in the queue thinking I was too young to have it.

My mother and her sister had shingles when they were in their 60s. They were very unwell and the rwsidual pain lasted nearly a year.

DD had shingles around her head and eyes when she was in her early 20s. It was most unpleasant and she had aprmananet headache for weeks.

I was round at the doctor's surgery the day I had my invitation for the shingles jab, no way did I want to experience what my unfortunate relatives experienced.