Shingles Vaccination

Shingles is an itchy and painful skin rash caused by reactivation of the varicella zoster virus (the same virus that causes chickenpox). The shingles rash can last for weeks and the pain from the rash can make it difficult to go to work, sleep, or spend time with family. SHINGRIX uses your body’s immune system to boost your body’s protection against shingles.

Answer: No matter how healthy you feel, your immune system declines as you age, and that puts you at an increased risk for shingles. If you’re one of the 99% of adults over 50 years old who have had chickenpox, the virus (varicella zoster) that causes shingles is inside your body and can reactivate at any time.

Answer: You cannot get shingles from someone who has shingles. However, a person with active shingles can spread the varicella zoster virus (the virus that causes chickenpox and shingles) to someone who has never had chickenpox—or who has never received the chickenpox vaccine. In this case, the person exposed to the virus might develop chickenpox. The virus can spread through direct contact with fluid from the blisters of the shingles rash. Once the shingles blisters have developed crusts, the virus can no longer spread.

Answer: Your risk for shingles increases sharply after 50 years of age. In addition, some underlying health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, COPD, or asthma put you at an increased risk of shingles. If you're over 50 years old and have any of these conditions, talk to your doctor about shingles vaccination.

Answer: In clinical studies, compared with placebo, SHINGRIX was shown to be over 90% effective in preventing shingles in adults 50 years and older.

Answer: SHINGRIX is given as a 2-dose series. To get the protection against shingles offered by SHINGRIX, it's important to receive both shots. After your first dose, the second dose should be administered 2 to 6 months later. For people who are or will be immunocompromised due to disease or therapy, and might benefit from a shorter vaccination schedule, the second dose can be administered 1 to 2 months later.

Answer: Yes, SHINGRIX can be administered at the same time as a flu shot.

Answer: Pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site, muscle pain, tiredness, headache, shivering, fever, and upset stomach are the most common side effects. In studies, these side effects had a median duration of 2 to 3 days.

Answer: SHINGRIX was not studied in pregnant or nursing women. Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding.

Answer: S SHINGRIX is a vaccine for the prevention of shingles (herpes zoster):

• in adults 50 years and older.
• in adults 18 years and older who are or will be at increased risk of shingles due to being immunocompromised by known disease or therapy.