Posted on 03/24/2018 2:19:15 PM PDT by bboop
Feedback on the new shingles vaccine? I usually lie low on medical treatment and don't go for 'the latest' treatment on much of anything. But then, I am healthy. Any feedback about this new vaccine? Side-effects? Avoid it? Go for it? Just collecting data here, thanks.
BIL had them on his left lower back, a few years ago, too.
He was told that, yes, you can get them again.
The Shingrix vaccine says it is suitable for those who have previously had shingles.
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/shingles/public/shingrix/index.html
It contains MSG, which I react horrible to one tiny taste of, so I’d not take it.
ZOSTAVAX is a lyophilized preparation of the Oka/Merck strain of live, attenuated varicella-zoster virus (VZV). ZOSTAVAX, when reconstituted as directed, is a sterile suspension for subcutaneous administration. Each 0.65-mL dose contains a minimum of 19,400 PFU (plaque-forming units) of Oka/Merck strain of VZV when reconstituted and stored at room temperature for up to 30 minutes. Each dose contains 31.16 mg of sucrose, 15.58 mg of hydrolyzed porcine gelatin, 3.99 mg of sodium chloride, 0.62 mg of monosodium L-glutamate (MSG), 0.57 mg of sodium phosphate dibasic, 0.10 mg of potassium phosphate monobasic, 0.10 mg of potassium chloride; residual components of MRC-5 cells including DNA and protein; and trace quantities of neomycin and bovine calf serum. The product contains no preservatives.”
And what is MRC-5? Yum yum, it’s from cells originating in an unlucky unwanted fetus.
The MRC-5 cell line was developed in September 1966 from lung tissue taken from a 14 week fetus aborted for psychiatric reason from a 27 year old physically healthy woman.”
It doesn’t even help much prevent the deadly post herpetic neuralgia that can be very bad for older people.
Merck, touts a 39% decline with the use of the vaccine. Further analysis of the data might lead you to a different conclusion. Approximately 0.4% of unvaccinated persons versus 0.14% of vaccinated people developed postherpetic neuralgia. The 39% decline is the less-than-accurate ‘relative risk’ (0.14/ 0.4). If we looked at the more accurate absolute risk, we come up with a decline of 0.26% of postherpetic neuralgia in those that were vaccinated.”
I’m out. I wouldn’t like shingles much but this moneymaker product with no liability for its manufacture is not effective nor morally made enough for me.
Let’s look at the Shingrix data. I went to the Physicians Desk Reference information on Shingrix. In section 14, the clinical trials used to get the vaccine approved are described. There were 14,759 subjects aged 50 years and older who received two doses of either Shingrix or placebo. In the NYT article, it was written that SHingrix was about 98% effective at preventing shingles for one year. The PDR report stated that same thing. If this vaccine was truly 98% effective, then I would have to seriously consider recommending Shingrix.
Here’s the actual data:
Six people out of 7,344 who received the two doses of Shingrix developed shingles—that is 0.08%. 210 out of 7,415 people who received the placebo became ill with shingles—that is 3%. How do they get 98% efficacy out of these numbers? Again, I have written about how the Big Pharma Cartel manipulates statistics to make a poorly performing drug or therapy look better than it actually is by using the relative risk (RR). Dividing .08% by 3% and subtracting from one provides the RR decline of nearly 98%. However, the relative risk is an inaccurate statistical model that should never be used to make clinical decisions. The more appropriate statistical model to determine if a drug or therapy should be used is the absolute risk reduction (ARR).
The ARR for this study can be calculated here: 3%-0.08%=2.9%. Therefore, a more appropriate determination of the effectiveness of Shingrix is that it is 2.9% effective at preventing shingles for a median of 3.1 years (the length of the study). And, a true statement about Shingrix is that it takes 34 people to be vaccinated with Shingrix (1/2.9%) to prevent one case of shingles. That means the drug failed 33 out of 34 who took it which is a 97% failure rate!
So, Shingrix is certainly better than Zostavax since Zostavax fails 99% who take it. What an improvement. And, all for only about $300.
You may not pay $300 but that’s what the liability-free powerful manufacturer gets for each 2 shot vaccine. Such a deal. And that $ goes to DC to power your enemies. There are better ways to treat shingles.
Very impressive book. I learned a lot from it. I may have to buy a copy. (Read it from the library)
I have to wait another month or two, but I will get the Shingrix one as soon as I can. It is way more effective.
After Shattered Sword, read
https://www.amazon.com/DAY-Through-German-Eyes-Hidden-ebook/dp/B00VX372UE/ref=pd_sim_351_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=6TN49TMZR6REGBP3N100
I just looked on my Express Scripts account and it shows covered at a pharmacy. Not sure I trust that but will be calling Walmart tomorrow. So glad I saw this thread. Crossing my fingers even with how much I hate needles. Watching my husband go through shingles was horrible. He is a much stronger person than I am. The pain was debilitating.
THX
Yikes in his forties? I hope the freepers reading this thread don’t put off taking the VAX.
Sorry but the shingles (a.k.a. varicella) virus is considered a herpes virus sharing much of the genome homology. Wasn’t classified as herpes until 1988.
Bottom line if your skin starts to tingle, get to your doc. Sooner you get on Valtrex the better.
“And that $ goes to DC to power your enemies. There are better ways to treat shingles.”
But to treat it best also involves big pharma.
My doc has never pushed a vaccine on me but she’s pushing this one. Think I’m gonna go for it. It is a miserable disease.
Lot of good info on this thread concerning how to keep the out of pocket cost down.
There may be various community resources available for those over 60/65. Depends on rules. Senior Citizen groups. County Health Depts. sometimes get a certain amount of $$ for vaccines. Requirements will vary. Check around folks.
I’m not an expert, but from what I understand you’re more likely to get shingles if you’ve had chicken pox.
Nothing has better “multilevel marketing” than pharma. Of course some drugs are life savers. I am not opposed to drugs. But when your official product study doesn’t pass statistics analysis from a math point of view, when your product is not liable for harm it might cause (and it is the ONLY category of products in the country that has that protection), so that the true stats show that the product doesn’t actually work despite the amazing push it gets from every doctor and media source (please google this new vax, it’s pushed up the wazoo on google “so you have to trust it”) and GOVERNMENT, it doesn’t matter how horrible the disease is. This isn’t a solution. It’s just packaged and pushed to look like one.
I just called Walmart and Tricare covers it! I am so glad I read this thread. I was petrified of getting shingles.
500 mg every few hours
4 or 6 times a day? Good to know
After reading this I have to say it’s, “Shingles, the scared straight story.” And yes I am getting the new VAX.
At first it hurts more, if that was possible, for a short time, but then the pain was reduced tremendously. After doing this for a few days, several times a day, the more the better, it began to disappear. Soon it was gone. Within a week, except a little redness, it was basically gone.
The caveat of the whole thing, is not to actually burn oneself. There is a fine line between having the treatment be extremely effective with fairly intense infrared heat and overdoing the heat and actually hurting oneself. If anyone were to try it, they should definitely do it with extreme caution. I imagine, though, that a lesser, safer amount of heat may be effective, even if it took longer. Also, infrared heat is well documented to reduce pain.
Just checked with our Walgreen’s....and, they DO stock this new vaccine (Shingrix) and it’s $170.00 (for both doses) w/out Insurance. With insurance, it varies, depending on provider.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.