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More than 7 million Americans are suffering with Alzheimer disease (AD). The Alzheimer’s Association reports that 1 out of 9 senior citizens will develop some degree of dementia. By 2060 as many as 14 million Americans will have AD (Alzheimer’s & Dementia, April 29, 2025). What if a vax against shingles such as the Shingrix or Zostavax vaccine could help prevent dementia?
Changing Direction is Challenging:
For decades, Alzheimer’s research has focused on one prime suspect: amyloid plaques in the brain. Drug companies have spent billions developing medications to clear away those sticky protein fragments. The drugs are amazingly effective at lowering amyloid levels. Unfortunately, most patients still experience little improvement in memory or thinking ability. That disappointing reality has forced scientists to ask a provocative question: What if amyloid isn’t the real cause of Alzheimer disease?
A growing number of researchers now suspect that infections and the brain’s immune response may play an important role. And one of the most intriguing clues comes from an unexpected source, an older shingles shot known as the Zostavax vaccine.
A Surprising Discovery About the Zostavax Vaccine
The shingles virus can remain hidden in the body for decades.
Anyone who had chickenpox as a child carries the virus that causes shingles: varicella zoster. Even after the rash disappears, the virus retreats into nerve tissue near the brain and spinal cord.
Decades later it can reactivate, causing shingles. But shingles may do more than trigger a painful rash. Some researchers believe that viral reactivation could contribute to inflammation and blood vessel damage in the brain, potentially increasing the risk of dementia.
That hypothesis gained credibility after several large studies examined what happened to people who received the Zostavax vaccine, an earlier shingles vaccine.
The Zostavax Vaccine Natural Experiment in Wales
One of the most intriguing studies emerged from Wales after the government introduced the Zostavax vaccine in 2013.
Eligibility depended on birth date. People born on or after September 2, 1933 could receive the vaccine. Those who had already turned 80 were not eligible.
That seemingly arbitrary cutoff created a perfect natural experiment. People just a few months apart in age are remarkably similar. The main difference was whether they could receive the Zostavax vaccine.
Researchers analyzed detailed health records and found something remarkable: People who received the Zostavax vaccine were about 20 percent less likely to develop dementia over the next seven years (Nature, April 2, 2025).
Watch Our Interview on the Zostavax Vaccine and Dementia
We recently spoke with Pascal Geldsetzer, MD, PhD, MPH, a Stanford physician-scientist whose research helped uncover this surprising connection between shingles vaccination and dementia risk.
Dr. Geldsetzer has analyzed natural experiments in Wales, Australia and Ontario, Canada, and the results have been remarkably consistent.
In this fascinating conversation, he explains:
- how a bureaucratic quirk created a powerful research opportunity
• why viral infections might influence Alzheimer disease
• and why a simple vaccine could potentially reduce dementia risk
His ideas challenge long-held assumptions about Alzheimer disease and open the door to entirely new prevention strategies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71YDIgIBcF8
Zostavax Vaccine Results Replicated in Other Countries
The Welsh findings were so intriguing that researchers looked for similar opportunities elsewhere. They found them. Australia introduced a shingles vaccination program for adults aged 70 to 79, but people who had already turned 80 were excluded.
That policy created another natural experiment involving the Zostavax vaccine. The results were strikingly similar. People who received the vaccine were significantly less likely to be diagnosed with dementia in the following years (JAMA, June 17, 2025). 23, 2025).
A similar pattern was later observed in Ontario, Canada (Lancet Neurology, Feb. 2026). When multiple natural experiments in different countries produce comparable results, researchers begin to take notice.
Why Might the Zostavax Vaccine Influence Dementia Risk?
At first glance, the connection between shingles vaccination and dementia sounds improbable. But there are plausible explanations.
When the varicella zoster virus reactivates, it can cause inflammation in the brain and damage small blood vessels. Researchers suspect that this process may trigger a cascade of events that eventually leads to cognitive decline.
Shingles outbreaks may also reactivate other herpes viruses. A Swedish study found that people infected with herpes simplex, the virus responsible for cold sores, were twice as likely to develop dementia over the following 15 years (Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, Feb. 13, 2024).
The infection-connection theory of AD is not new. More than 40 years ago, pathologist Melvyn J. Ball, MD proposed that herpes viruses might help trigger Alzheimer disease (Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, Aug. 1982). Why neuroscience has mostly ignored Dr. Ball’s research is a mystery to us.
The Zostavax Vaccine Is Gone, But Its Successor May Be Even Better
The studies described above relied on the Zostavax vaccine, which is no longer used in the United States. It has been replaced by a newer vaccine called Shingrix.
The Shingrix vaccine is substantially more effective at preventing shingles:
- 97 percent effectivein adults 50 to 69
• 91 percent effective in adults over 70
Protection also appears to last longer than with the older Zostavax vaccine.
Because Shingrix stimulates a stronger immune response, researchers are now wondering whether it might provide even greater protection against dementia.
New Research on the Shingrix Vaccine and Dementia
Recent data suggest that is a possibility. A study of Kaiser Permanente patients compared people who received the Shingrix vaccine with those who did not.
The vaccinated group had a 51 percent lower risk of developing dementia (Nature Communications, Feb. 9, 2026).
Other research suggests shingles vaccination may benefit the heart as well.
A massive study of more than one million adults in South Korea found that people who received a shingles vaccine were 25 percent less likely to experience major cardiovascular events, including heart attacks, strokes and heart failure (European Heart Journal, May 5, 2025).
Why Preventing Shingles Matters in Its Own Right
Even without the dementia question, shingles prevention can be enormously valuable. Shingles causes a painful rash, but the suffering often continues long after the rash fades. The complication is called postherpetic neuralgia (PHN)—persistent nerve pain that can last months or even years.
One reader shared her father’s experience:
“I would encourage anyone on the fence about getting the Shingrix vaccine to seriously consider it. My elderly father had the older shingles vaccine but not Shingrix. Several years ago, he had shingles so badly that he was hospitalized twice because the pain was uncontrollable.
“Due to the shingles, he now has post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). Although he takes morphine and gabapentin, the daily pain of PHN is almost unbearable. It is so bad he often cries out loud.
“His pain management doctor has prescribed other drugs and performed a nerve block, but nothing has helped. He went from being an active man prior to shingles (bowling, volunteering, splitting firewood by hand) to someone who is housebound because of post herpetic neuralgia.”
Another reader described her own ordeal:
“I have had shingles on the top of my head, my forehead and inside my eye. It burns with constant, sharp, knife-like pain that goes down through my head and behind my eye. I can’t sleep.”
Depending upon age and immune system function, two doses of the Shingrix vaccine are about 86 percent effective at preventing postherpetic neuralgia, one of the most dreaded complications of shingles.
Can You Get Shingles More Than Once Even Without the Zostavax Vaccine?
Yes. People who have had shingles once can experience another outbreak later in life. For that reason, the CDC recommends that all adults over 50 receive two doses of the Shingrix vaccine, even if they have already had shingles.
People who previously received the Zostavax vaccine can also benefit from the newer Shingrix vaccination.
One Rare but Serious Side Effect of the Shingrix Vaccine
No medical treatment is completely free of risk. In 2021 the FDA required the manufacturer of Shingrix to update prescribing information after researchers detected a small increase in Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) following vaccination.
The additional risk was estimated at about six cases per million vaccinations within the first six weeks (FDA Safety Communication, March 24. 2021).
For most people, the benefits of vaccination appear to far outweigh this relatively small risk.
Could the Zostavax Vaccine Discovery Change Alzheimer Prevention?
As mentioned, more than seven million Americans already live with Alzheimer disease. Current Alzheimer drugs that target amyloid plaques are extremely expensive and offer limited clinical benefit.
A vaccine is comparatively inexpensive. If preventing viral reactivation reduces dementia risk, even modestly, the public health impact could be substantial.
The Zostavax vaccine studies may have opened the door to a radically different way of thinking about Alzheimer disease. Instead of treating dementia after brain damage occurs, future strategies might focus on preventing viral triggers decades earlier. And that could change the trajectory of Alzheimer disease for millions of people.
Final Words:
Neuroscientists are also looking at other strategies. A mouse study in Science Translational Medicine (Feb. 11, 2026) found that an old medicine for epilepsy (levetiracetam) may prevent buildup of toxic proteins in the brain.
One reader shared her husband’s experience:
“My husband was prescribed levetiracetam (known commercially as Keppra) about two months before he died. He’d had Alzheimer’s for at least 10 years and couldn’t talk or walk by then. He experienced cognitive improvement noticed by his care staff as well as the hospice nurse and doctor. It included restoration of some verbal ability and awareness of his surroundings.
“I wish we had started this treatment sooner. I found out later that studies on this drug go back at least a decade. None of the drugs doctors usually prescribe for AD work, and they have serious side effects. How different would our lives have been if my husband had been started on this one much sooner?”
One personal story is not proof that this treatment would work for anyone else. More research is needed to determine if the old and inexpensive anti-seizure drug levetiracetam will be helpful for other people with AD. In the meantime, though, it looks as if researchers are beginning to consider a variety of new strategies that may prove more successful than the current amyloid-depleting drugs.
Did you find this article and our video interview with Dr. Geldsetzer of interest? If you did not take time to watch, here is the link again:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71YDIgIBcF8
Please share this article with friends and family. We would be grateful if you let acquaintances know about our work on social media and via email. Every new subscription to our newsletter keeps this website growing. If you can donate to our work, here is a link. Thank you for supporting The People’s Pharmacy!
Cynthia
Looking at all these comments convinces me to not even consider the Shingrix vax. I do take a gram of lysine every day.
Debbie
My dad got Guillain -Barre from the Swine Flu vaccine. Does that make me more susceptible to getting it if I get the Shingrix vaccine or was that isolated to that particular vaccine?
Pam
So does the Shingrix vaccine also help control Cold Sore outbreaks? I did have a 3 day headache after taking 1st dose and flu shot together. I think side effect was from Shingrix as I have never had the headache side effect from previous flu shots
JAM
I have had many shingles outbreaks since first getting them at age 25. I have also had shingles many times after getting the Shingrix vaccine (both shots). I have noticed no difference in the length of my outbreaks or the pain associated with them. Some outbreaks are worse than others, and one was possibly triggered by Covid.
It’s nice to know that I am potentially getting additional benefits from the vaccine.
Bird
My three sisters had chicken pox. I was around them constantly and never got chicken pox. I’ve tested negative for the virus. Do I still need Shingrix?
Mark
My wife has suffered for years with PHN after a relatively mild shingles outbreak. She has radiating nerve pain down major nerve bundles in her neck, alternating shoulders and mid-back. Refuses to consider Gabapentin, and NSAIDs do nothing. She’s never had Shingrix but I can find no information about whether or not the vaccine might help control the lingering nerve pain. Anyone heard anything about such a benefit for those who have already had shingles with PHN? (Postherpetic Neuralgia)
J
This vaccine was extremely painful and left a permanent knot in that arm. Then, I got a herpes like sore on my private. I have never even had a cold sore! And now years later, that sore sometimes comes back. I did not get the second one and my doc agreed.
Bruce
Please include absolute risks along with relative risks when quoting studies. Not knowing the absolute numbers makes it very difficult to evaluate the seriousness of the risks.
Audrey
I developed an allergic reaction after receiving my first dose of Shingrix…heat, swelling of my entire upper arm (about 5” by 4”) and redness, all of which lasted about 3 weeks to a month. My doctor advised against getting a second dose. Do I have any protection? Should I try the older vaccine? I am allergic to Neosporin and had a bad reaction to the RSV vaccine as well.
Anon
When I was in my early 20s, I watched an “older” guy in the office (40s? LOL) endure shingles. It was horrible. He was miserable, and for a very long time.
I could hardly wait to get my Shingrix shots! Virtually the day I qualified, I ran to get my first one. A little soreness at the injections site, maybe some warmth, but nothing extraordinary or more than mildly uncomfortable. Same with Shot #2.
DEFINITELY would do again, 10/10. The relief I feel is worth a LOT more discomfort than those minor complaints!
Kris
I know some of these responses are years old but wanted to share my mom’s experience with shingles.
Mom was in her 50’s when she got shingles. She had the typical around the waist area affected. She said it was very painful but she started applying vitamin E oil to the area. That actually helped reduce the pain and the shingles were gone by week two. She took no other medications for it.
Another interesting thing is that a friend of hers at work came down with shingles. Mom brought her some vitamin E capsules to open up and apply, and she also had the same response so maybe they are on to something?
Linda
I got the 2 Shingrix shot in late 2019, the last one days before Christmas. It was immediately ill and had a bad cough that lasted until Feb when I was given some antibiotics. I also developed PVCs (never had them) after the shots that are not controlled. I was told that no way were the PVCs related to the Shingrix shot. But it is. I was so very sick right after both shots, moreso after the second. I was healthy when I got the shots. I researched side effects and saw they only followed patients for 7 days. Never again.
Charles
I received the first of two Shingrix shots several years ago. About 3 days later, while sitting on the couch, the entire right side of my body, including my foot, which felt like it was turning over on its side, slowly went numb. The numbness started at the injection site. I got up and started doing jumping jacks & my circulation returned.
I went to the pharmacy, and nothing like this was described in the side effects. Previously scheduled to see my Primary Care physician for my routine visit three days later, he stated that the reaction probably meant I didn’t need the shot. He is a long-time practicing physician, just now retiring. Never felt anything like that since, and I stay up to date on my vaccines at age 73.
Carolyn
I received the two Shingrix vaccines in 2021, 4 months apart. Last November, I got shingles. It took almost 5 months to recover. Two weeks ago, I had a recurrence in the same area. I am wondering if the vaccine I got was subpar and if I should have a titer done.
Any thoughts?
Trish
I was born in 1945 and have had Herpes Simplex (like cold sores) since childhood. In my 50’s? I got Shingles around my left side waist in reaction to some antibiotic. A while later the shingles vaccination was suggested and I paid full price for 2 shots. No unusual reaction. A number of years later I got what we assumed was Shingles again and when that was well healed I got the new Shingrix 2 shots (still not covered by insurance). Again no unusual reaction.
Later I noticed that I seldom or mildly had Herpes on my lips – but regularly I had/have outbreaks on my backside below my waist (not on my genitals). I assumed it was Shingles but later began to think it was Herpes because it looked like the small, watery blisters I used to get on my lips. I now take regular 1000mg L-Lysine. While I have not had a cold sore on my lips for years, I regularly have outbreaks on my upper backside buttocks.
Is it possible that I do get Herpes not Shingles on my upper buttocks whenever I have a fever or am stressed. I’m now 80 and almost NEVER get sick and have not had a cold for 30 years.
Should I get the Herpes/Shingles outbreak checked the next time I have an outbreak?
Should I get another Shingrix vaccination?
Meri
I had the first dose of Shingrix after the pharmacy where I was working received it from our supplier after it was released. I had such a bad reaction I sent out an email to all the other pharmacists telling them to consult that a bad reaction was possible. I was in bed with horrible joint pain, fever and an overwhelming fatigue. It started with the fatigue the day after the shot: I had to leave work early and canceled all my weekend activities. From then on I always asked patients if they had any mandatory events in the next 4 days and suggested waiting to get shingrix until after the event.
Later the packaging and pharmacist information came out warning of such reactions in 20-30% ? of patients.
I cannot find info on the effectiveness of only one dose and still have not gotten the second shot.
Tina
I would encourage anyone on the fence about getting the Shingrix vaccine to seriously consider it. My elderly father had the older shingles vaccine but not the Shingrix vaccine. Two and a half years ago, he had shingles so badly that he was hospitalized twice because the pain was uncontrollable. Due to the shingles, he now has post herpetic neuralgia (PHN). Although he takes morphine and Gabapentin, the daily pain of PHN is almost unbearable. He often cries out, it is so bad. Over the years, his pain management doctor has prescribed other drugs and performed a nerve block, but nothing has helped. He went from being an active man prior to shingles (bowling, volunteering splitting firewood by hand) to someone who is house bound because of post herpetic neuralgia.
Michal
I contracted shingles in 1992. It was a very hot summer. I was very busy with work, and family life was very stressful (my father had Alzheimer’s). I had 2 pinhead-sized dots under my left breast which itched and then hurt terribly. I thought it was a heat rash. When it didn’t go away after a few months, and the pain became excruciating, I went to a doc who diagnosed shingles. By that time it was too late for an antiviral.
I continued to have outbreaks, aggravated by heat (caused by weather and/or stress). I used topicals – primarily aloe — but also L Lysine. After many years of this another doc suggested trying acyclovir, which I did. But it only worked re-actively, not pro-actively. And since it wasn’t any more successful (but lots more expensive!) than the topicals or L lysine, I stopped taking it.
After about 20 years I read an article about long lasting symptoms – not just neuralgic pain. I contacted the author who put me in touch with someone at the CDC. I sent them a scraping sample. They told me it was herpes, not shingles – either had morphed or was misdiagnosed initially. And there was nothing to be done.
I still have regular outbreaks – again, caused by heat/stress. And those are a regular part of life! I do use the topicals (pro-actively) and L lysine (re-actively) and it seems to be under control.
I have thought about getting the Shingrix but have read that it shouldn’t be done if I’ve had an outbreak within months. And since barely a month goes by without an outbreak, I haven’t done it. Not sure if there’s any other recourse.
Elizabeth
I had my first bout of shingles with a large rash aroumd the left side of my waist. It was terribly painful and lasted 4 months. In 2023, I received 2 Shringrix per doctor’s orders. I had a bad reaction to both shots -feeling sick for 2 days. In 2024. I had a second bout of shingles on my chin. Thankfully it was small and only lasted a month. I guess the shots prevented a more serious infection.
Kathy
I’d risk shingles over getting Guillian-Barre syndrome with its paralysis any day. My sister got the shot and became paralyzed for weeks. She still has residual nerve pain and limited function.
Donna
Having received both Shingrix II shots, the rash outbreak on the left side of my body was something I had not experienced before (it was of a grater had been used on my skin) and immediately called my doctor. It was shingles and my doctor’s prescription calmed the “itch” and was gone within days!! There is no telling what the outcome would have been without the Shingrix II.
Kim
We both received the Shingrix series (at ages 60 and 62). My husband had a mildly sore arm with both injections. I was in excruciating pain in my arm that radiated all the way down to my wrist almost immediately upon the first injection. I was in bed for 3 days with flu-like symptoms…fever, chills, body aches, etc. With the second shot, I had no symptoms except a sore arm. We both got COVID (after 2 doses of Pfizer mRNA) about 2 years after the Shingrix series. My husband got a small lesion on his side that looked like an insect bite about the time we got COVID. It didn’t heal and he began having a sensation like bugs crawling underneath the skin. When his COVID quarantine was up, he went to his dermatologist, who thought it was contact dermatitis and prescribed a strong corticosteroid cream. The sensations morphed into intense, shooting pain. About a month after the lesion appeared, his PCP said it was Shingles. It was too late to get an antiviral, so we used Capsaisin and lidocaine patches, and he had to go on various pain prescriptions, including Gabpentin. It took almost 5 months for the post-herpetic neuralgia to abate. Was he just one of the unlucky 3% that Shingrix doesn’t protect? Was it COVID? Pfizer? Did Shingrix mask the Shingles by making the rash so mild (only one quarter-sized spot that never was fluid-filled) that it delayed diagnosis and early treatment? Guess we’ll never know, but I doubt the “over 95 “efficacy of this vaccine. I hope my protection is better than my husband’s was.
Harold J
With a risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome”that high” it seems irresponsible to advise the vaccine, in my opinion.
There are relatively good alternative treatment options for herpes zoster.
Ev
After shingles vaccine I had herpes breakouts for months. One outbreak after another. Then it all stopped. No herpes breakouts or shingles. I read this happened to others with the same infliction.
James
Why do you believe the CDC. Fool me once …
Julie
Hi- your article states that “protection [as a result of the Shingrix vaccine] remains high for at least four years after vaccination.” Is it necessary to get the Shingrix series of 2 shots again after a certain number of years or are there not enough data to know yet?
Rose
I got shingles exactly 40 yrs after I had chickenpox at age 25. It was a rough go, but not that bad. It lasted about 2-3 weeks.
I am a great believer in natural immunity. I have it for Covid too.
Too many mights and “could-be”s with these new vaccines. When we were kids, a vaccine was a permanent, effective solution. New drs need to abide by good old fashioned methods. Less is more.
Anne
I received both Shingrix vaccines about three years ago. Results: Minor soreness each time in my arm, and a few days of feeling sub-par. Since my body can easily over-react to vaccines, I was a little nervous, but went ahead anyway. I have known folks with shingles to cry the pain is so bad, so I was motivated! I am grateful to have had the vaccines with no major problems.
DD /
View the side effect profile before using this product. It is being overly hyped. If you have any reaction after shot #1, would advise skipping #2. Side effects are really bad for a mass promoted product.
Randy
You fail at basic math. The shingles shot only prevented the disease in 1 out of 11 people who received one. The correct ABSOLUTE risk reduction is therefore 9%. The relative risk reduction is therefore a meaningless statistical number Pharma and the FDA play to make drugs and vaccines look better than they really are.
Statin drugs are the worst with an absolute risk reduction of 1% or less.
If people were told the TRUE effectiveness of this shot, that there is only a 9% chance it will prevent Shingles, how many do you think would take it?
Don
My Mom got shingles even though she was vaccinated several years back. Her family doctor told her that the vaccine she got was found to be about 30% effective. Geez, you know? She still has some nerve pain 2 years later.
Last year she was able to get both injections of the new vaccine. I’m still having difficulty with the fact that modern medical science can’t produce better products. We have the military-industrial complex and I also believe we have the medical-pharmaceutical complex. I don’t trust either one for doing the right thing.
Jenny
I was so sick with flu-like symptoms after the first Shingrix I decided not to get the next one, since my doctor said it would be even stronger.
Mickey
I had some adverse affects from my first Shingrix injection. Within a few hours I became extremely tired and could hardly lift my feet to walk up the steps. I got a bad headache. I fell asleep on the couch, and when I woke up the muscles in my legs ane even my feet were aching so much that I used a heating pad and did get some relief. The next day my arm really hurt, and I felt a little under the weather, and by the third day I felt fine. I’m due for the next shot in a couple of months and am concerned if this will happen to me again.
Terry
Is there any correlation between the amount of time that has elapsed before the second shot and the severity of the reaction? My friends who got the second shot at 2 months were wiped out with fever and aches afterward.
Ronald
One in 34 will be helped by the Shingles Vaccine? That’s not much.
Ethel
I got a Shingrix shot and wish I hadn’t! I have had shingles about five times and would rather go through that than the ongoing pain from the shot. Arthritic-like pain in hands, wrists, ankles and feet. At least with the shingles I could fight that and get over it. This is ongoing, and I am afraid it will be forever, as it hasn’t let up since I got the shot which was at least two years ago.
I know people who have gotten the shot and are fine but do be aware it can also be painful in its own way.
Bob
I received the two inoculations two years ago. I had a case of shingles several months ago. I took an antiviral drug. I had no symptoms except for the rash. WHEW!
Neil
I received the Shingrix vaccine on Fri 29 Aug 19 at an outpatient clinic in Freeport, IL. Within two hours I had a fever of 102. I had muscle and joint aches, a pounding headache (I never get headaches), and every other negative side effect of Shingrix except for the anaphylactic (sp) shock. Since then I have trouble staying awake. If I sit still for about four or five minutes I fall asleep, which makes driving a challenge. The Drs. at the V.A. say they’ve never heard of falling asleep as a side effect of Shingrix but they agreed that I shouldn’t get the booster.
I am not an anti-vaccine person but I will not get that shot again. Over a year later. and I’m still feeling the effects of this shot. I didn’t get chicken pox until I was 39 years old so I guess I will not get shingles until between 35 and 50 years later, like most people.
Betty
2 Questions:
1) If both conditions are caused by the same virus, then why two different names? Why not just call both Chicken Pox, and if you get it again when older then just call it a recurrence?
2) If they are both caused by the same virus, then why not use the Chicken Pox vaccine for both? Just get a booster when you get older. Why do they need to develop new vaccines for adults?
Christopher
My wife has suffered in the past from shingles. One was a mild case near her right eye. The other case, more recent,was at her waist. Once her shingles went away, we got the first of two Shingrix injections. We both experienced pain in the arm and some warmth. In addition, my wife experienced extreme itchiness in her arm. What is more concerning, however, is that a few days later, small blisters began to appear all over her face, including on her eyelids. This was so concerning that our family doctor immediately sent her to an ophthalomologist, as any shingles in the eyes can cause blindness. Needless to say, she is very hesitant to get the second injection and is just as hesitant to get the MMR vaccine that our doctor recommends. I hope no-one else suffers these complications.
Alice
I had shingles on the side of my knee about 10 years ago. Went to Urgent Care and received prescription for Famvir which was expensive, but the shingles disappeared after 2 days. Guess I was fortunate.
Linda
Had a mild case of Chicken pox as a child. Took the new Shindrex Shot, and it was awful. Arm swelled so much that I had to cut the sleeve off my arm, had a fever, rash and general feeling of “awful” that lasted over a week. Went to an Allergist, and he told me I should not have second shot.
Barb
I had shingles 30 years ago. It is brutal. PURE HELL. I was treated with Zovirax, which was a popular herpes treatment at that time. My doc told me that they were ‘hopeful’ that I would not have another outbreak. Because Shingrix is so expensive – and neither Medicare, nor D or F cover, I decided to have my husband get the shots. $340 at one big chain pharmacy – and THAT was the least expensive. We see constant advertising for the need to have this vaccine. Maybe they could do a little less advertising and cut the cost for the drug? Make it affordable for Medicare participants.
Dee Melluzzo
ct.
I would like to know if you did not get chicken pox still need the Shingrix vaccine?
Suzanne Tishkoff
44122
I am. 81 and after getting the price of shingrtix shot and finding out that meedicare, even With supplemental,does not pay$ for shots decided to not get shkt. I have many allergies to drugs and question any change in my meds. Walgreen pharm. Is great on checking what my doctors prescribe,though medicare must drive them nuts. Knowing The genaric drugs we have to suck up as seniors, can be made anywhere and all the problems that have occurred, i Am really afraid of shingrix and do. not trust CDC to have my best interest or really do research on meds.
My husband had shingles a few yrs. Ago.He got the shots ok. But has no allergic reactions to meds! Lucky him. i
James
Redlands, CA
Homeopathic remedies can help heal varicella zoster attacks. It activates your own immune system to attack the virus.
M.J.
Baltimore
I haven’t seen anything about whether someone who had the Zostavax shot (I had it 15 years ago and had a mild case of shingles about 4 years ago) should get the Shingrix shot.
Carol
Houston TX
I received the first shot with no side effects. The 2nd one put me in bed with flu like symptoms (fever and bone aches) for several days with my arm turning red almost all the way around it. I have had neck pain for over 7 months which started at the same time as the 2nd shot. I assume that it is related but can’t prove that.
Clyde
New Zealand
The problem I have with vaccines in general is they are not tested with random controlled trials, vaccinated and unvaccinated populations have not been adequately compared and the measurement of effectiveness by monitoring antibodies is overly simplistic as the human immune system is more complex than that. I also have doubts about the independence of the Centre for Disease Control.
My mother and my wife’s aunt lived till their 90s and spent their last years in a retirement home. Neither of them were on medications and refused influenza vaccinations. They never got colds or influenza, while the rest of the residents did every winter. If you think it’s good luck and good genes, do the homework on the emerging science of epigenetics.
There have also been studies linking soaring shingles rates in the elderly, in areas where children only have artificial immunity.
Marilee
Florida
I had shingles 6 years ago and remember the pain as if it was yesterday. I also developed postherpetic neuralgia after the rash faded, which lasted for months. There is no real treatment for it other than taking analgesics. One doctor suggested I start taking opioids… NO, I did not. NO regrets on that. I just suffered through and it began to fade. I do not want to go through that again. I’m hearing that the new shot is effective even if you’ve already had shingles. What amazes me is that medicare and most private insurance does not help pay for shingles vaccines. That’s just criminal. Shingles seriously debilitates and can be very harmful depending where on the body it afflicts, so you’d think insurers would want to prevent it.
Jan
If you have a part D plan, check with them. Medicare won’t pay, but my Part D plan paid a large portion my the bill for my Shingrix vaccinations.
Lauren
Snow Camp
I read recently that the shot should not be the live virus if you have a compromised immune system. The study was done in England. There were 1,104 side reactions.
mar
buffalo ny
If a person over age 75 bears the risk of faintng from the shingrix vaccine, that could result in a broken hip which may result in becoming an invalid. Vertigo and fainting are a frightening thing to anticipate as a reaction, especially to an older person living alone.
Cate
Eugene, OR
For years, I have requested that any vaccine I receive be injected into a large buttock muscle. I have no pain or soreness this way. I am a small woman and any injection into the deltoid leaves me sore for days. I don’t understand why this isn’t being offered to people as an alternative injection site, especially when so many complain about arm pain for days after the Shingrix vaccine.
Kara
NY
Cate, this is a really good comment. Thank you. Everytime I get a flu shot in my arm, I get a bad reaction, so I’m going to ask for the shot in my butt next time.
Deni
Washington state
My husband and I both got our first dose of shingrix in early December. The shot was like getting a gamma globulin shot you felt it going in. Our arms were very sore, similar to muscles pain after n intense workout. We both developed a slight fever and malaise, which lasted 2 days. All the side effects are listed on the sheet that comes with the vaccination. This however was the first time we experienced any side effect from a vaccination. We also had zostervax a few years back. Any side affects from the vaccination are worth not getting shingles. Especially if you know someone that has had it.
Debbie
TX
Not everyone has a horrible experience with Shingles. I was expecting it to be dreadful, but was pleasantly surprised. I started with the feeling that my clothing was irritating my skin around my waist on my left side. The skin was sore to the touch, but nothing horrible. Within a few days the telltale rash appeared and the blisters formed. I refused to take the anti-viral after reading about the possible side effects. Instead, I took 1000mg of L-Lysine 3 times a day, upped my Vitamin C to 10 grams per day, took Sambucol daily and put Colloidal Silver Gel on the rash. It was itchy, but there was no pain. From the time the blisters formed to the scabs falling off was about 10 days. Now, I just have some red marks that are fading daily. I would take Shingles again over side effects from a vaccine. Heck, I would take shingles over a bad cold anyday. Perhaps it is the prescription drugs that actually make it worse. The natural approach worked well for me.
Kay
South Carolina
My husband and I both had both Shingrix vaccinations. He is on Medicare. He had no side effects from one shot, but the other one gave him a mild fever and tiredness for a day. He had no problem obtaining the shots; they were available and given to him on time. If we paid anything, it wasn’t much because of the supplemental plan we have in addition to Medicare.
I received the Shingrix vaccinations a year or so after my husband had his. I am on an ACA insurance plan and although it took some maneuvering for the second shot due to the pharmacy not being in network, in the end the insurance paid the full price for both shots and I had no out of pocket cost. The first shot put me in bed for two days with a fever, extreme tiredness, muscle aches and sinus headache. It felt like a bad case of the flu, but after two days it went away completely. The second shot did the same thing but only for one day, and the next day I was good to go. My advice would be to plan around possible inability to pursue normal activities for a couple of days after the shot.
I did have availability issues with both shots. For the first one, I had to search for a pharmacy that had the vaccine in stock, and it was hard to find one. For the second shot, the pharmacy where I had gotten the first one had a preferential list for people who had gotten the first shot with them, so with the second one they were calling people on their list when they got some vaccine in. I was lucky enough to have both shots within the prescribed window.
My understanding is that this is a different type of vaccination. It has no live virus in it, but it acts by boosting the immune system in a different way than a normal vaccination. The pharmacist was trying to explain it to me. Ask you pharmacist about the way it works.
I would absolutely do it again in a heartbeat. I personally know several people who have gotten shingles, so it is a common thing. I would much rather have a shot, even with some side effects, than the disease. I am a big believer in vaccinations, which I think have saved countless lives since their advent. I was born just as the polio vaccine was coming into use and I thank God for these researchers who spend their lives trying to find ways to truly help the population. The word is overused these days, but they are true heroes.
James L Edge
NC
Unable to obtain second shot after trying several sources. Why is it in short supply? If it is a patent problem Glaxo has a lot of explain to do . If not why hasn’t Merck or another vaccine maker entered market.
I have never seen product in such a unmet market not explored. Something fishy here!
Kathy
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
I have lichen planus which I got right after receiving the flu vaccine. I am very wary of getting 2 more vaccines!! Is there a mercury preservative in them?
Julie H.
IL
I had always read, and been told by doctors, that the people who have repeated outbreaks of shingles are the rare ones, The only long-term study I could find–a study in Minnesota that spanned seven years and was published in 2011–found that only around 6% of shingles patients got shingles a second time. Only 6%! Even though I recently had a shingles outbreak–and yeah, it was horrible and lasted for two solid months even WITH antiviral meds–I react idiosyncratically to drugs and vaccines, and am feeling very hesitant to get the vaccine. I know that the CDC is pushing to get folks vaccinated–I mean, that’s their job, right?–but why isn’t it more common knowledge that 94% of folks who get an outbreak WON’T EVER EXPERIENCE ANOTHER?
Ali
NYC
I am 62 years old and did not get the vaccine — only because I was busy and kept procrastinating, which I now regret. I came down with a severe case of shingles that lasted well over a month and I got hit with every possible symptom, and it was awful. The nerve pain lingered for weeks after but has mostly subsided. My doctor says I should still get the vaccine but has been vague about when I should do it. I’m concerned that if I do it too soon after recovering, I’ll experience more severe side effects than if I wait. But I certainly don’t want to come down with another shingles attack! It’s now been about 3 months since my shingles episode ended. Any advice about when I should get the vaccine?
O.G.
South Carolina
My first shot was uneventful. With the second — which I got by continuing to annoy the pharmacy staff as soon as the appropriate amount of time had passed, asking “Is the second Shingrix shot in yet?” every time I went by — I had two days of serious “flulike symptoms” and two sore arms. (TWO sore arms? What’s THAT about?)
Still, at 73, I was glad to get the shots finished.
An aside. Try saying second Shingrix shot three times, fast.
Carolyn
Anchorage
I had excruciating pain following both vaccinations. I couldn’t move my arm for days without great pain. I also had flu like symptoms. I would not consider getting the shingrix vaccine again.
Linda
Mebane, N.C.
Carolyn, the few days of pain that you had from the injection is still much better than having Shingles which can leave you with excruciating pain that lasts a lifetime! I had Shingles of the Ear (Ramsay Hunt syndrome) in 2008 and have major facial weakness, facial spasms and cramping (medical Botox every three months), diminished hearing, loss of depth perception (all are unilateral), poor balance and constant dizziness. All this caused by the zoster virus! Would you rather risk living like me? Anyone still debating about getting the Shingrix vaccine, google Ramsay Hunt syndrome and then RUN to your local pharmacy. I have even received the Zostavax vaccine the week that I turned 60 and now have had both of the Shingrix injections (our local pharmacies give preference to customers who have had the first injection in getting their second one in two months – the preferred time period – and up to six months if necessary).
Richard
FL
We received the Shingrix vaccine, both doses, in late summer and autumn in Jensen Beach, Florida. It was readily available at the CVS drugstore. My wife had flu like symptoms for two days. I had a sore arm for the same period. After that, nothing.
jackie
Oregon
I have read that with even having had the Shingles I should still get the shot. I am always confused about getting the shot when I have had shingles. Does having it not give one immunity from getting the Shingles again.
Linda
Mebane, N.C.
Seems there are still so many misconceptions about the Shingles vaccines.
ZOSTAVAX is the older vaccine that contains the LIVE Zoster virus. Efficacy was only about 51% on this one. It was better than nothing. It did cause some severe problems and is now on record involved with lawsuits in the U.S.
SHINGRIX is the newer vaccine. it is NOT a live vaccine therefore you cannot get Shingles from getting the two Shingrix injections. There are numerous possible side effects listed on the info sheet that your pharmacist will give you before you get the first injection. The sore arm (mine lasted 4 days after first shot, 1 day after second) and flu like symptoms are probably the most common. Consider the alternative. A few days days of pain verses coming down with Shingles that can appear ANYWHERE, even internally (mine were in my ear and mouth) and can even be fatal. It’s not just a few days inconvenience. Having Shingles can be a lifelong battle. Some people never get the Zoster virus back into dormancy and have a daily battle for years and years. Also, it is possible to get Shingles more than once. Shingrix seems to be a really good vaccine, worth the expense, the wait, the pain and inconvenience. Plan your injection for a time when you have a few days that you can stay at home, pamper yourself and take it easy.
Marilee
Florida
Doctors are saying no, that we don’t develop immunity and can be afflicted a second, even third time. I had shingles some years ago and haven’t had it again, but I’m going to try and get the new vaccine. I don’t want to go through the pain and suffering again.
John
Raleigh NC
Correction to my last post. My wife told me it was the FDA and not the CDC that she had reported our Shingrix reaction to.
John
Raleigh NC
My wife and myself ( ages 68 & 70 ) took the first Shingrix shot and with 12 hours developed extreme pain in both arms. This continued for a period of 10 days and returned sporadically for an additional two weeks. My wife, an RN, tried to report the results to the CDC but was stymied over and over again as their convoluted reporting process threw up roadblocks at every turn. It was if they just didn’t want the information. So, I take the ” light side effects” reports with a great deal of skepticism.
Mary
Alexandria, Va
I am very allergic to many molds. How can I find out if any molds or mold extracts are used either to prepare or preserve this vaccine.
Also, as someone who is very sensitive/allergic to molds, yeast, mushrooms, vinegar, other foods, cats, dogs, grass pollen, tree pollen, and weed pollens–I have a question about my immune system.
Does my hypersensitivity mean that I have an overly STRONG immune system or a WEAK one?
Rose
New York
Is it true that this vaccine is made with fetal stemcells?
Terry Graedon
Not true. Here’s a technical article describing it.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5557227/
Chris
Australia
The risks of shingles vaccines are seriously played down. There are law suits in the USA by people seriously injured by them. The vaccines are just a massive amount of the varicella-zoster virus introduced into the body and it often activates the dormant varicella-zoster virus into a devastating shingles episode.
Dorothy
Little Rock, Arkansas
That was my experience. Two weeks after getting the first shingles shot I had a second outbreak of shingles. I had had the prior severe outbreak of shingles two years previously and have had nerve pain since then. The second outbreak was less severe than the first.
Elizabeth
CA
Can you still get the two Shingrix shots even if you already had one tiny shingles attack many years prior?
I had one years ago, after caring for my Mom who had such a bad attack she ended up in hospital for 3 weeks due to the severity of her attack? She suffered for over a year after from the pain it was awful
When I got a patch the size of a quarter on my lower back that looked like shingles and hurt quite a bit, I was terrified of having an attack like my Moms
I went immediately to the Dr who said I had the start of a shingles attack he immediately put me on medication which stopped it from spreading or worsening l was so lucky!
Jan
You can definitely get the Shingrix series despite your bout of shingles. I had shingles in 1996, and was still advised to get the series. I had a moderate reaction to each (not mild, but also not serious).
Christen
Roanoke, VA
I understand the importance of the vaccine and have had both my doses. But not without a price. I am one of those few who had severe side effects both times. (numbness in fingers, muscle aches, chills, fever, head ache, ear ache) I realize those side effects were much less than a case of shingles and I am thankful the vaccination was available. However, I wish doctors and pharmacists would alert us to the possibility of unusual side effects and let us know if there is any way to alleviate the discomfort if they occur.
Jan
NC
I took the shingles vaccine several years ago. I don’t remember having to go back for a second shot.
Is this a newer vaccine?
Giant Squirrel
Yes. Shingrix is new and a two-shot program.
Louise
Chicago
I have been interested in getting the shingles vaccine for several years. I am now 63. However 2.5 years ago when I mentioned my intention to my internist I also happen to mention that my son and his wife were about to have a baby. The doctor told me to delay the vaccination due to cell sloughing post vaccine which could be dangerous for the baby. So I waited. Meanwhile the new vaccine was coming out so I put off plans for the shot although still feared getting the vaccine knowing I was frequently around my grandchild.
A month ago I brought the vaccine discussion up with my doctor only to realize my son and wife are about to have baby # 2. So now I guess I am delaying the vaccine again. Please cllarify and provide guidelines for new grandparents like myself. I will be babysitting , holding and loving this baby and need vaccine clarification as well when I can safely receive the 2 part shingles vacvine be it this year or later. Thank you.