I haven’t received the shingles vaccination yet. Do you all recommend it? If so, which brand? Thank you.
I’m not yet in the age range for getting it, but I’d pick the new SHINGRIX vaccine, which has better efficacy.
However, when my wife came down with it, our doctor took pains to touch the sore with her bare hands, which I later found out redoubles one’s own prior immunity, rather like a vaccine.
I believe that Shingrix is the only shingles vaccine available in the USA. It’s a two shot protocol. The 2nd shot is taken 2-6 months after the first. It’s reported to be over 90% effective for at least 5 years.
It’s widely available. I got mine at a local CVS pharmacy.
Of course you should always consult a doctor or pharmacist, or both, before taking Shingrix or any other vaccine.
Make sure you know what is in any vaccine before you take it. Do your own homework and make sure it is for you.
As per CDC: “Shingrix is the only shingles vaccine available in the USA. It’s a two shot protocol. The 2nd shot is taken 2-6 months after the first. It’s reported to be over 90% effective for at least 5 years.”
3 years ago, my wife, and I got our first Shingrix shot, and the retired Navy RN suggested that only one of us get the second shot at the same time as some people really get hammered with the second dose.
My wife opted out, and I got my second shot and got hammered. I may have been an early Covid 19 patient with the classic side effects I had. CoVid was not a known at that time.
Basically, Thanksgiving and Christmas were wiped out for me. Our PPO got me in for a cardiac stent. I was put on 2 RX blood thinners and baby aspirins per day. If I actually had Covid, those blood thinners and a new CPap machine might have saved this 81 year old at that time.
Later in January of the next year, we got our 2 Covid/Pfizer shots. I and a good friend ended up with classic Shingle reactions I had the red rings around my Covid injection site. He had the classic rash on his abodimum. Then, after a couple days later, both of us cleared up. The Shingrix apparently worked for both us, and we had mild shingles.
Since then, zero Covid boosters shots for both of us and zero extra shingles shot for my wife.
I am 65 and had shingrix (2 shots, a few months apart), about 2 years ago.
Partly due to my younger brother DID have shingles, and it was awful. We all had chicken pox, and my son (now 38) had VERY mild chicken pox, but had it like 3 times of just a handful of blisters each time. These two issues made me think it would be good to get the vaccine.
Also my former father-in-law had a BAD case of shingles, when he was in his later 60s, and suffered a great deal of pain, was unable to get out or do much for several months.
I had no reaction issues to the shots, but a co-worker of mine at the time, did have some swelling in her arm, as well as general nausea/malaise feeling for a couple days after getting it.