Listen to this online podcast from the CDC
http://www2c.cdc.gov/podcasts/player.asp?f=10098
Check out this website !! http://www.shinglesinfo.com/index.html
It is the first vaccine reimbursed through Medicare Part D, which is administered by individual drug plans that contract with pharmacies, not physicians.
Why aren't people getting the shingles vaccine ???
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/10/health/10chen.html
Four years ago at age 78, R., a retired professional known as much for her small-town Minnesotan resilience as her commitment to public service, developed a fleeting rash over her left chest. The rash, which turned out to be shingles, or herpes zoster, was hardly noticeable.
But the complications were unforgettable.
For close to a year afterward, R. wrestled with the searing and relentless pain in the area where the rash had been. “It was ghastly, the worst possible pain anyone could have,” R. said recently, recalling the sleepless nights and fruitless search for relief. “I’ve had babies and that hurts a lot, but at least it goes away. This pain never let up. I felt like I was losing my mind for just a few minutes of peace.”
Shingles and its painful complication, called postherpetic neuralgia, result from reactivation of the chicken pox virus, which remains in the body after a childhood bout and is usually dormant in the adult. Up to a third of all adults who have had chicken pox will eventually develop one or both of these conditions, becoming debilitated for anywhere from a week to several years. That percentage translates into about one million Americans affected each year, with older adults, whose immune systems are less robust, being most vulnerable. Once the rash and its uncomfortable sequel appear, treatment options are limited at best and carry their own set of complications.
While the search for relief costs Americans over $500 million each year, the worst news until recently has been that shingles could happen to any one of us. There were no preventive measures available.
But in 2006, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new vaccine against shingles. Clinical trials on the vaccine revealed that it could, with relatively few side effects, reduce the risk of developing shingles by more than half and the risk of post-herpetic neuralgia by over two-thirds. In 2008, a national panel of experts on immunizations at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention went on to recommend the vaccine to all adults age 60 and older.
Read the rest of this article http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/10/health/10chen.html
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If you are over 50 years old and if you can locate a Walgreens Drug store that has a TakeCare Clinic and if you have a drug plan that is accepted by Walgreens then you can get a Shingles Shot for an out-of-pocket co-pay. (Otherwise it is $220 self-pay. Read on -you may decide that it is worth it !)
In our experience this co-pay is often in the $35-$45 dollar range. You do not need a prescription since the Nurse Practitioner will write one for you. The Walgreens computer will deal with your insurance company so that you do not need to have correspondence with your insurance company.
You can call 1-866-825-3227 for the central office of the TakeCareClinc. They can provide locations and other details. You will need to call the central office to see if the clinic near you has the vaccine.
http://www.takecarehealth.com/default.aspx to find a location near you.
It is $195 at my local health department.
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Then go to this page --
The shingles vaccine is made of a weakened form of the chickenpox virus. Can a person who has received the vaccine infect others with this virus? No. It is safe to be around infants and young children, pregnant women, or people with weakened immune systems after you get the shingles vaccine. Transmission of the chickenpox virus from a person who has received the shingles vaccine has never been documented.
Can shingles be spread to others?
Shingles cannot be passed from one person to another. However, the virus that causes shingles, VZV, can be spread from a person with active shingles to a person who has never had chickenpox through direct contact with the rash. The person exposed would develop chickenpox, not shingles. The virus is not spread through sneezing, coughing or casual contact. A person with shingles can spread the disease when the rash is in the blister-phase. Once the rash has developed crusts, the person is no longer contagious. A person is not infectious before blisters appear or with post-herpetic neuralgia (pain after the rash is gone).
Why is the shingles vaccine only recommended for people 60 years and older?A person’s risk for getting shingles begins to rise around age 50. However, shingles vaccine (Zostavax) is only recommended for persons age 60 and older because the safety and effects of the vaccine were only studied in this group, which accounts for about half of all cases of shingles occurring each year in the United States. Future research will determine if the recommended age for vaccination should be lowered. (some are now administering it after age 50 as of June, 2011)
Can the shingles vaccine be given to people who have already had shingles?
Yes. People who have had shingles can receive the shingles vaccine to help prevent future occurrences of the disease. This is true no matter when they first got shingles.
The current data indicate that the shingles vaccine is effective for at least six years but may last longer.
A few testamonials for why you SHOULD get the vaccine.
Four years ago, I had shingles and it is the most painful thing I’ve ever endured; more painful than kidney stones and more painful than a motorcycle crash that broke a clavicle and resulted in a serious concussion.
Yet, if I one can’t afford the vaccine, one just lives in hope of not contracting shingles.
Having said that, I would urge anyone age 60+ who can possibly afford it to get the vaccine.
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Get the vaccine, anyone can get shingles even those under 60 years old if they had chickenpox. I had it in my fifties and lost over 2 weeks of my life, not able to work and in miserable pain. Even if it cost more it would be worth it. Trust me, you do not want shingles!
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I am just recovering from a case of shingles and am praying that I don’t develop the long-term neuralgia. The recent pain I have gone through was the worst I have ever experienced.
GET THE VACCINE!
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My husband got shingles in his eye, and I witnessed the struggle with saving his vision. Five years later, he is still on maintenance meds to protect against shingles return. Not fun, but grateful the scar damage in his eye is limited to high eye pressure which we can control. So, when the vaccine came out I said to me, “hummm, $150 -$300 out of pocket for vaccine, or risk going through something similar”. Guess what, $300 is easy compared to the meds we have bought over 5 years. It’s a no brainer. Do it! Save yourself!
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Having had a terrible case of shingles on my forehead and eyelid, plus the postherpetic neuralgia which is still causing me pain and itching three years later, I would tell everyone over 60 to get the shot. The pain was excruciating and was very difficult to control, plus I had to see an opthalmologist three times to be sure it didn’t damage my eye. This was besides seeing the internist and the dermatologist. I was out of work for about 6 weeks because I was so weak from the attack. It also made me very sensitive to lights and sounds.
I just wish my doctor had told me there was a shingles vaccine. The shot would have been much cheaper than all the doctors’ visits and meds I had to pay for.
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/shingles/?s_cid=cs_000
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/shingles-vaccine/AN01738
The shingles vaccine isn't recommended if you:
Yet, if I one can’t afford the vaccine, one just lives in hope of not contracting shingles.
Having said that, I would urge anyone age 60+ who can possibly afford it to get the vaccine.
***************
Get the vaccine, anyone can get shingles even those under 60 years old if they had chickenpox. I had it in my fifties and lost over 2 weeks of my life, not able to work and in miserable pain. Even if it cost more it would be worth it. Trust me, you do not want shingles!
**************
I am just recovering from a case of shingles and am praying that I don’t develop the long-term neuralgia. The recent pain I have gone through was the worst I have ever experienced.
GET THE VACCINE!
**************
My husband got shingles in his eye, and I witnessed the struggle with saving his vision. Five years later, he is still on maintenance meds to protect against shingles return. Not fun, but grateful the scar damage in his eye is limited to high eye pressure which we can control. So, when the vaccine came out I said to me, “hummm, $150 -$300 out of pocket for vaccine, or risk going through something similar”. Guess what, $300 is easy compared to the meds we have bought over 5 years. It’s a no brainer. Do it! Save yourself!
*************
Having had a terrible case of shingles on my forehead and eyelid, plus the postherpetic neuralgia which is still causing me pain and itching three years later, I would tell everyone over 60 to get the shot. The pain was excruciating and was very difficult to control, plus I had to see an opthalmologist three times to be sure it didn’t damage my eye. This was besides seeing the internist and the dermatologist. I was out of work for about 6 weeks because I was so weak from the attack. It also made me very sensitive to lights and sounds.
I just wish my doctor had told me there was a shingles vaccine. The shot would have been much cheaper than all the doctors’ visits and meds I had to pay for.
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/shingles/?s_cid=cs_000
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/shingles-vaccine/AN01738
The shingles vaccine isn't recommended if you:
- Have ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to gelatin, the antibiotic neomycin or any other component of the shingles vaccine
- Have a weakened immune system due to HIV/AIDS, lymphoma or leukemia
- Are receiving immune system-suppressing drugs such as steroids, adalimumab (Humira), infliximab (Remicade), etanercept (Enbrel), radiation or chemotherapy
- Have active, untreated tuberculosis
- Are pregnant or trying to become pregnant
You'll want to do your own research to alternatives to the shingles vaccine --here are some articles.
http://www.healthiertalk.com/prevent-shingles-vitamins-not-vaccine-3836
Prevent shingles with vitamins, not vaccine
http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/problems/medical/shingles1.htm
Preventing Shingles from the Discovery Channel
http://www.helium.com/items/2066396-shingles-liquid-vitamins
How nutrients can help prevent shingles
