Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsShinglesContradindicationsTalk to Your ProviderFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Shingles
Contradindications
Talk to Your Provider
Frequently Asked Questions
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that healthy adults ages 50 and older get two doses of the shingles vaccine (Shingrix). The shingles vaccine can prevent both shingles and related complications.
This article will discuss the shingles vaccine, including frequency, effectiveness, side effects, and cost.
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Shingles Facts
Anyone who has ever had chicken pox is at risk for developingshingles. The virus that causes both diseases remains dormant in the nerve cells and can eventually be reactivated.Many people who had chicken pox as children don’t know they contracted it.
Prevalence
According to the CDC, nearly 1 in 3 people in the United States will develop shingles in their lifetime. About 1 million people in the United States get shingles every year.About 1%–4% of people who get shingles will need to behospitalized.
Symptoms
The firstsymptoms of shinglesare tingling and itching sensations on the skin, as well as stabbing, burning pains.
Several days later, a painful rash develops—typically in a band on one side of the waistline, torso, face, or other parts of the body. After developing into a patch of fluid-filled blisters, the rash usually crusts over and dries out.
Other shingles symptoms may include:
For most people, the symptoms of shingles resolve within two to four weeks. For others, the intense, burning pain in the area of the rash may continue for weeks, months, or even years. This condition, known aspostherpetic neuralgia(PHN), is the most common complication of shingles. About 10%–13% of people 60 years or older with shingles develop PHN.
Other potential shingles complications include:
Risk Factors
Anyone who has ever had chicken pox can develop shingles. However, it’s most common in adults over age 50.
According to the National Institute on Aging, about half of all shingles cases in the United States are in adults 60 and older. Older adults are also significantly more likely to be hospitalized for shingles-related complications.
Anything that weakens the immune system and the body’s ability to fight infections is a risk factor for developing shingles.These may include:
Shingles and AgeWhile your risk of shingles increases as you get older, you can get shingles if you’re under 50, as well.Adults age 50 and over should consider getting a shingles vaccine. People age 19 and up who have a weakened immune system should also consider getting the vaccine.
Shingles and Age
While your risk of shingles increases as you get older, you can get shingles if you’re under 50, as well.Adults age 50 and over should consider getting a shingles vaccine. People age 19 and up who have a weakened immune system should also consider getting the vaccine.
Is Shingles Contagious?
Shingles Vaccine (Shingrix)
Shingrix is recommended for all adults age 50 and older to prevent shingles. It is also recommended for people ages 19 and over who have or will have a weakened immune system due to disease or therapy.Shingrix, or therecombinant zoster vaccine(RZV), is delivered via injection, usually in the upper arm.
The CDC recommends that you get Shingrix even if you’ve had shingles before or if you’re not sure if you had chicken pox in the past.
Frequency
People ages 19 and over who have or will have a weakened immune system due to disease or therapy, the doses can be given just one to two months apart.
Booster shots have not been approved for the Shingrix vaccine, so after receiving the two doses, your vaccination is complete.
Should You Get Shingrix If You Had the Zostavax Shingles Vaccine?It is recommended that you get two doses of Shingrix even if you got a different shingles vaccine in the past. Before Shingrix was approved, the Zostavax shingles vaccine was available. It was discontinued in November 2020 as Shingrix is much more effective. If you had the Zostavax vaccine, talk to your healthcare provider about getting Shingrix.
Should You Get Shingrix If You Had the Zostavax Shingles Vaccine?
It is recommended that you get two doses of Shingrix even if you got a different shingles vaccine in the past. Before Shingrix was approved, the Zostavax shingles vaccine was available. It was discontinued in November 2020 as Shingrix is much more effective. If you had the Zostavax vaccine, talk to your healthcare provider about getting Shingrix.
Efficacy
Shingrix is highly effective in preventing both shingles and shingles-related complications, such as hospitalization and PHN.
Two doses of the Shingrix vaccine prevents shingles and PHN approximately 90% of the time, and the protection stays strong for at least seven years. In adults who have weakened immune systems, the vaccine can be less effective, in the range of 68%–91%, depending on their underlying condition.
Cost
The cost of RZV varies widely, depending on whether you use Medicare, Medicaid, or a private health insurance plan.
Some insurers (such asMedicare Part Dplans) cover the vaccine, but you may still have a copay. However, most patients pay less than $50 out of pocket for the shingles vaccine. Around 90% of patients with private insurance plans pay less than $5 for each dose of Shingrix.
Vaccine Assistance ProgramsContact GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer of Shingrix, for information about your potential eligibility for a vaccine assistance program.
Vaccine Assistance Programs
Contact GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer of Shingrix, for information about your potential eligibility for a vaccine assistance program.
Side Effects
Shingrix has been shown to be safe and effective.However, some people may experienceside effects from the shingles vaccine, including:
Due to a stronger immune response, younger people are more likely to experience side effects after the shingles vaccine. Some people have side effects that interfere with their daily activities. Most of these symptoms resolve on their own within two to three days.
In very rare cases, RZV may cause a serious allergic reaction.Seek urgent medical help if you have any of the following symptoms of an allergic reaction:
These symptoms usually appear just minutes or hours after vaccination.
Who Should Not Get the Vaccine
Shingrix is safe and effective for most adults. There is no upper age limit for the vaccine. However, you should not get the shingles vaccine if you:
Can You Get the Shingles Vaccine With Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Talk to Your Healthcare Provider
Talk to your doctor about whether or not you should receive RZV or if you should get it on an altered vaccine schedule if you:
Can You Get Shingles More Than Once?
Summary
People who are over age 50 or who areimmunocompromisedare especially at risk of developing shingles. The most common shingles complication is postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), which causes intense, ongoing pain in the area of the rash.
Side effects from the shingles vaccine can include pain and redness at the injection site, as well as muscle pain, headache, nausea, stomach pain, shivering, fatigue, and fever. Allergic reactions to Shingrix are very rare.
People who currently have shingles, are pregnant, have ever had an allergic reaction to the vaccine, or currently have a moderate to severe illness should not get the vaccine.
A Word From Verywell
The shingles vaccine is safe and effective in preventing both shingles and related complications, such as PHN. Talk to your healthcare provider about getting the shingles vaccine, especially if you are 50 years old or over or are immunocompromised.
Frequently Asked QuestionsAnyone who has had chicken pox is at risk of getting shingles. Most people who get shingles only get it once. However, it’s possible to get it again, especially if you have other risk factors, such as HIV.The shingles rash typically appears as a band or patch, often on one side of the trunk or face. The rash later develops into a patch of small, fluid-filled blisters. These eventually crust over and dry out.Shingles symptoms begin with numbness, itching, and/or burning pain. A few days later, a painful rash appears. The rash typically scabs over within seven to 10 days.Other shingles symptoms usually resolve within two to four weeks.People with shingles can spread the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) through direct contact with the fluid from their blisters. They can’t spread the virus before the rash appears or after it crusts over.This usually happens within seven to 10 days of the first signs of a rash.
Anyone who has had chicken pox is at risk of getting shingles. Most people who get shingles only get it once. However, it’s possible to get it again, especially if you have other risk factors, such as HIV.
The shingles rash typically appears as a band or patch, often on one side of the trunk or face. The rash later develops into a patch of small, fluid-filled blisters. These eventually crust over and dry out.
Shingles symptoms begin with numbness, itching, and/or burning pain. A few days later, a painful rash appears. The rash typically scabs over within seven to 10 days.Other shingles symptoms usually resolve within two to four weeks.
People with shingles can spread the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) through direct contact with the fluid from their blisters. They can’t spread the virus before the rash appears or after it crusts over.This usually happens within seven to 10 days of the first signs of a rash.
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Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles vaccination.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles (herpes zoster).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles facts and stats.Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.Chickenpox versus shingles—what’s the difference?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles symptoms and complications.Kawai K, Yawn BP.Risk factors for herpes zoster: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Open Forum Infect Dis. 2017;4(Suppl 1):S313–S314. doi:10.1093/ofid/ofx163.733National Institute on Aging.Shingles.Harpaz R, Leung JW, Brown CJ, Zhou FJ.Psychological stress as a trigger for herpes zoster: might the conventional wisdom be wrong?Clin Infect Dis. 2015;60(5):781-785. doi:10.1093/cid/ciu889Hansson E, Forbes HJ, Langan SM, Smeeth L, Bhaskaran K.Herpes zoster risk after 21 specific cancers: population-based case-control study.Br J Cancer. 2017;116(12):1643–1651. doi:10.1038/bjc.2017.124Pavlopoulou ID, Poulopoulou S, Melexopoulou C, Papazaharia I, Zavos G, Boletis IN.Incidence and risk factors of herpes zoster among adult renal transplant recipients receiving universal antiviral prophylaxis.BMC Infect Dis. 2015;15:285. doi:10.1186/s12879-015-1038-1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles vaccine recommendations.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What everyone should know about Zostavax.Shingrix.Cost & coverage.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical considerations for use of recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV, Shingrix) in immunocompromised adults aged > 19 years.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles vaccination.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles (herpes zoster).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles facts and stats.Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.Chickenpox versus shingles—what’s the difference?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles symptoms and complications.Kawai K, Yawn BP.Risk factors for herpes zoster: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Open Forum Infect Dis. 2017;4(Suppl 1):S313–S314. doi:10.1093/ofid/ofx163.733National Institute on Aging.Shingles.Harpaz R, Leung JW, Brown CJ, Zhou FJ.Psychological stress as a trigger for herpes zoster: might the conventional wisdom be wrong?Clin Infect Dis. 2015;60(5):781-785. doi:10.1093/cid/ciu889Hansson E, Forbes HJ, Langan SM, Smeeth L, Bhaskaran K.Herpes zoster risk after 21 specific cancers: population-based case-control study.Br J Cancer. 2017;116(12):1643–1651. doi:10.1038/bjc.2017.124Pavlopoulou ID, Poulopoulou S, Melexopoulou C, Papazaharia I, Zavos G, Boletis IN.Incidence and risk factors of herpes zoster among adult renal transplant recipients receiving universal antiviral prophylaxis.BMC Infect Dis. 2015;15:285. doi:10.1186/s12879-015-1038-1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles vaccine recommendations.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What everyone should know about Zostavax.Shingrix.Cost & coverage.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical considerations for use of recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV, Shingrix) in immunocompromised adults aged > 19 years.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles facts and stats.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles symptoms and complications.
Kawai K, Yawn BP.Risk factors for herpes zoster: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Open Forum Infect Dis. 2017;4(Suppl 1):S313–S314. doi:10.1093/ofid/ofx163.733
National Institute on Aging.Shingles.
Harpaz R, Leung JW, Brown CJ, Zhou FJ.Psychological stress as a trigger for herpes zoster: might the conventional wisdom be wrong?Clin Infect Dis. 2015;60(5):781-785. doi:10.1093/cid/ciu889
Hansson E, Forbes HJ, Langan SM, Smeeth L, Bhaskaran K.Herpes zoster risk after 21 specific cancers: population-based case-control study.Br J Cancer. 2017;116(12):1643–1651. doi:10.1038/bjc.2017.124
Pavlopoulou ID, Poulopoulou S, Melexopoulou C, Papazaharia I, Zavos G, Boletis IN.Incidence and risk factors of herpes zoster among adult renal transplant recipients receiving universal antiviral prophylaxis.BMC Infect Dis. 2015;15:285. doi:10.1186/s12879-015-1038-1
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles vaccine recommendations.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What everyone should know about Zostavax.
Shingrix.Cost & coverage.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical considerations for use of recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV, Shingrix) in immunocompromised adults aged > 19 years.
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