The shingles vaccine; yes or no?

[GoodbyeDave]

I see it is available on the NHS to people over 70. I wonder why.

Firstly, your immune system declines in effectiveness with age. Secondly, the resistance to the chicken pox virus also declines as time goes by. I only had chicken pox in my 50s, so I hope my body still remembers what it is!

Has anyone here had a reaction to the vaccine? I know that your first influenza vaccine can have side effects.

 

[columbus]

Firstly, your immune system declines in effectiveness with age. Secondly, the resistance to the chicken pox virus also declines as time goes by. I only had chicken pox in my 50s, so I hope my body still remembers what it is!

I had it when I was so young that I don't remember my mom parking me in a chair in the back room of the house.
I had already scratched so hard I still have a scar on my forehead. She duct taped wooden sticks to my arms so I couldn't reach my face any more.
I wonder how taping your kid to some scrap wood would play in 2019 USA.
Tom

 

[exchemist]

Firstly, your immune system declines in effectiveness with age. Secondly, the resistance to the chicken pox virus also declines as time goes by. I only had chicken pox in my 50s, so I hope my body still remembers what it is!

Has anyone here had a reaction to the vaccine? I know that your first influenza vaccine can have side effects.

No I'm not yet old enough - another 6 years to wait for that privilege.

 

[Subduction Zone]

Isn't shingles a type of measles?

Chicken pox. If you had chicken pox you are apt to get shingles. The virus does not die when one recovers, it lurks for decades.

 

[Altfish]

Chicken pox. If you had chicken pox you are apt to get shingles. The virus does not die when one recovers, it lurks for decades.

I stand corrected

 

[exchemist]

Chicken pox. If you had chicken pox you are apt to get shingles. The virus does not die when one recovers, it lurks for decades.

Yup, herpes zoster, a.k.a. varicella.

 

[Subduction Zone]

Yup, herpes zoster, a.k.a. varicella.

Which is a very good argument for giving your kids the chicken pox vaccine. Not only is a relatively minor, at least for me, disease averted in childhood, it would hopefully make it much less likely to have a case of the shingles.

 

[esmith]

Had chickenpox when I was a kid. Doctor suggested I get the shingles vaccine, took his advice. No side effects.