Should I have a 'shingles' jab ?

[Dave7]

I know its my decision but I don't know anything about it.
I am 76 and got a phone call out of the blue asking me to go to the surgery for it.
With recent health problems PLUS all the covid stuff I am sick of of having needles stuck in me and bloods taken out.......but it its important and no side effects I will have it.

 

[kayakerles]

Oh hell, yeah, Dave get it. Shingles is a really horrible thing, and I believe we have way more of a chance of that as we get up in years. I am going on 67, and my set of two shingles jabs will probably last me the rest of my life. Good to go, with no worries. Something like 96% Preventive power. Worth a couple of sticks.

The kind they used to give around a decade ago, was only 43% affective in the long run. You can’t go wrong with the new set of shingles shots. Preventive, and worth it. I had no side effects. Some might get a little irritation around the jab site, but it’s worth it.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

You may as well, I have never had shingles but know people who have and it is horrible.

I didn't know the NHS did such a jab.

Same as I didn't know, until my invite, about the one-off pneumonia jab that I am having at 8.40am tomorrow.

I'm a big believer in the preventative jabs and screenings that we get offered via the NHS.

 

[dicko]

Yes

 

[kayakerles]

Dave, I hope you got my message, at first, I entered the wrong address. Sorry about that to the other Dave that may have received this confusing message!

 

[kayakerles]

Shingrix is the one to get.
There are 2 shingles vaccines used in the UK: Zostavax, a live vaccine given as 1 dose. Shingrix, a non-live vaccine given as 2 doses, 2 months apart.

(Worth the 2nd jab.)

 

[kayakerles]

Dave, KnittyNorah has a thread on here about shingles as well, for background info.

 

[Drago]

Wouldn't an anti-shingles jab be more appropriate?

 

[a.twiddler]

Up to the individual, of course, but I would recommend to get it done. I had mine last year. The nurse ran through the spiel, it was a single dose live vaccine. No noticeable side effects. My dear old dad had shingles when he was just a little older than I am now and it really debilitated him for months, and the pain lasted for ages after the rash had cleared up. It really dragged him down. It generally affects older people far more than if you develop it when you are younger, and that can be horrible enough. At least it's one less affliction that I will have to deal with as I get older.

 

[tom73]

The vaccination has little side effects , Mrs 73 has given 1000's of them and never had anyone follow up with anything to worry about.
it's very much an individual choice but singles is not something you want if you can avoid it.
Its effect's last months and can be painful debilitating condition. Basically making your nerves go into over drive and miss fire all over the place. So way you're better off having the vaccination than risking singles.

 

[pawl]

As aiil the above have said definitely.

 

[Tenkaykev]

Shingrix is the one to get.
There are 2 shingles vaccines used in the UK: Zostavax, a live vaccine given as 1 dose. Shingrix, a non-live vaccine given as 2 doses, 2 months apart.

(Worth the 2nd jab.)

That's interesting to learn. I was contacted by the GP surgery a while ago and invited to come in for a shingles jab. I'm immune compromised so I checked with my consultant who advised against it. I'll dig a little deeper as I know a few people who have contracted shingles and had quite a rough time of it.

 

[OldShep]

Yes & yes without a doubt.
i got shingles November last year and spent two months in bed or sitting in a chair. The pain was awful, the drugs were worse and It has affected my sight in one eye.
Got my invite for the vaccine in January went along but I still had too many symptoms to receive it. I still have pain but believe I’m well enough now to give them a ring and get my jab.
Never once had a sick note in my working life but if I still worked i'd have needed two months off!

 

[PeteXXX]

Yes. Have it. I had no side effects whatsoever after my jab.
My dad and sister both had Shingles and it really wasn't nice at all!!

 

[KnittyNorah]

I know its my decision but I don't know anything about it.
I am 76 and got a phone call out of the blue asking me to go to the surgery for it.
With recent health problems PLUS all the covid stuff I am sick of of having needles stuck in me and bloods taken out.......but it its important and no side effects I will have it.

I had a shingles jab - and still got shingles a couple of years later - but clearly there are some exceptions to the rule and I was clearly one of them! My shingles was also fairly short-lived as shingles tends to go, so maybe it still helped.

I had no side effects from the jab at all. Also had the pneumonia jab at around the same time; I think it was when I reached 70 I started getting offered all these extra needles.