Shingles Vaccine for Seniors

Posted by Maryan Pelland Feb 11, 2007

They say you can't get shingles if you never had chicken pox - but anyone who has had chicken pox can certainly come down with shingles at any random point. Some half a million Americans get it each year. The long and short of it is, the FDA approved a vaccine, trade named Zostavax, for anyone at risk who is 60 or older. Shingles usally affects older people, says WebMD.

Shingles is sort of a reactivation of little critters left behind by chicken pox. Only they don't come back as itchy lesions, they come back very painful say people who have had the condition. And shingles can cause long-term affects, in about 1/3 of people, like recurring pain for a lifetime. In rare occasions, according to the U.S. National Library of Health, lesions in or near the eyes can cause temporary or permanent sight impairment.

The next step for you, if you had chicken pox, is to talk with your doctor about the vaccine. The medication is effective, experts say, about half the time, so it isn't fool proof. Ask your doc about side effects and so forth. Some people are reporting difficulty in getting the drug - so if you htink you're a candidate, I wouldn't wait long before inquiring. Maybe you can get on a waiting list or something with your provider. The vaccine is an injected triple dose of chicken pox and the protection is thought to last about 4 or 5 years. A booster version might be on the horizon.

I have read, across the Web, that it can be costly - $150 to $200. I don't know if your insurance would cover a Zostavax injection, but you can check with your carrier - some cover, some don't. For myself and my fmaily, I'm not in favor of over medicating. HIstory has shown some risks associated with some vaccinations. But folks who have had shingles tell me it just is not worth the risk to wing it.