Shingles jab

[Ronnieboy]

Anybody had any issues with AF and the shingles jab? now I've reached 70 I'm due the jab this week actually.its certainly been a jab year I've had 2 covid ,pneumonia, flu, now shingles all since January.

[Hylda2]

Had the shingles jab. No problem whatsoever. Husband who doesn’t have AF had shingles. So ill so he took the jab when available too.

[2gizzy in reply to Hylda2]

I’ve had shingles twice and when I went for my pneumonia jab the nurse said I was should have the shingles jab but when she entered it on the computer she said that’s funny it won’t let me do it. I said is it a live vaccine and she said yes so I said I’m not allowed live vaccine doe to my nonexistent immune system . SonIve surprised that Dr are recommending people to have it. Because it will give you shingles.

[CDreamer]

If you have any autoimmune disease you would not be given any live virus such as the shingles vaccine. I have autoimmune and was told on no account have Shingles vaccine or even be in a room with someone who has recently had Shingles or the jab. Therefore I can only offer a very personal viewpoint. If you have nothing to suggest that you should not have the jab - I would - believe me Shingles is absolutely horrible and very contagious. I caught it from my son who also gave it to my grandson who was 10 and became seriously ill. Very unusual but not unheard of in children, thankfully my daughter in law recognised the symptoms early but the GP she first saw dismissed her but thankfully she wasn’t put off and insisted on a 2nd opinion there and then! I got off very lightly but my son was also quite ill and in a lot of discomfort for some months - from the disease.

NB:- COVID vaccines are completely different - they are not ‘live’ vaccines so with reference to SteelHeart’s reply Fibromyalgia is absolutely horrible but the Astra Zeneca jab is completely different to the Shingles jab.

I had the Pfitzer shots - my only problem was that I haven’t developed serum antibodies. I did have a slight reaction to both shots - 2nd more so.

I think the question of to vaccinate or not is very personal and a very Marmite issue!

[Aniela in reply to CDreamer]

I had no idea that shingles is transmissible although I am led to believe that anyone who hasn't had chickenpox could catch it from someone who has shingles.

[CDreamer in reply to Aniela]

Is shingles contagious? It is not possible to catch shingles from someone else with the condition, or from someone with chickenpox. However, it is possible for someone who has never had chickenpox to catch it from someone with shingles, as the shingles blisters contains the live virus.2 Mar 2021

So my son had had chickenpox as a child but my grandson hadn’t but caught juvenile shingles from his Dad. Obviously they live in close proximity.

[Suesouth in reply to CDreamer]

I’m the same, wasn’t allowed shingles jab due to autoimmune issue, pneumonia, flu, Astra zenica, all no problem!!

[baba in reply to Suesouth]

The Shingrix shingles vaccine may be safer for people with immune conditions, not available via NHS in the UK.

nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinati...

ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/...

[Suesouth in reply to baba]

I’m in the UK, but wouldn’t be keen to risk having it, I’ve had shingles so hopefully won’t get it again!! 🤞🤞

[baba in reply to Suesouth]

Having shingles once does not protect you from having it again.

[Suesouth in reply to baba]

Yeah I’ve had it twice!!

[Lacontie in reply to Suesouth]

You can get shingles again and according to my GP if you catch it in your 70s after an earlier case it can leave you in nerve pain for years so I went for the jab ASAP after my first shingles experience which was so painful!

[Suesouth in reply to Lacontie]

Yeah, but I’m not allowed the jab, went to get it, but it was a no, no,!

[Lacontie in reply to Suesouth]

You have to be 70 yrs old in the UK and I had it the day after my birthday ….I didn’t want shingles again!

[Suesouth in reply to Lacontie]

I was 70! It was a no because of the autoimmune disease I have!!

[kingsnorth in reply to baba]

The Shingrix vaccine is now available in the U.K. l had it just over a month ago

[BobD Volunteer]

No but I do know of someone who developed shingles after the AZ jab. Since it lives in your body until your immune system is down this isn't beyond possibility.

[Hidden]

I had shingles jab at 65-67 years' old, no problems.

I had occular shingles (on skull down to my eye) and you don't want it, so this is one vaccine I'd be keen to have as I got older.

[Angie06]

Hi, just interested to know whether you were contacted automatically for your shingles jab or if you had to request it? I'm 71 this year and didn't know anything about it despite caring for my mum( 92yrs) who lives with me and has had shingles a couple of times.

[Ronnieboy in reply to Angie06]

No I got a call,I had a pneumonia jab and the nurse said I have the shingles jab 3 weeks after although it will be actually 19 days after

[Angie06 in reply to Ronnieboy]

Thanks Ronnie, I suppose all surgeries will be slightly different as I had the pneumonia jab a couple of years ago but wasn't offered the one for shingles.

[Lacontie in reply to Angie06]

No , you need to call them, unless going for another reason then they will do it!

[Maggimunro]

Wise move. Shingles is just awful. I had mine a couple of years ago and didn’t bat an eyelid.

I had to ask my GP for it.

[Tryfan]

No problems at all. Best wishes.

[Ronnieboy in reply to Tryfan]

No seemed to go ok hardly felt it.

[Tapanac]

No problem with the shingles jab. All was fine. I caught shingles twice from my grandson who had chicken pox twice. I thought I would be ok to look after him having had shingles the year before, but no it was as bad the second time as the first. All the best definitely jab before shingles and didn’t cause the slightest problem with my AF/tachycardia

[Ronnieboy in reply to Tapanac]

I'm not likely to catch it from my grandkids they are 3000 miles away in Maryland.

[Tapanac in reply to Ronnieboy]

Ha ha and shingles don’t fly!

[Crystalbowl]

I was offered the shingles jab when I got to 70. However, as I have had repeated small outbreaks of shingles for the past 20 years’ or so, I asked two people at different times at my GP surgery, a nurse and a GP, whether I should get the jab in view of this. Both of them said they didn’t know and neither of them offered to find out. As I was not keen to have the vaccination, I forgot about it. However, in January 2019, I developed a really bad case of shingles on the same side of my body (RH) but higher up - the whole of my rib cage area from navel to spine front and back. It cleared up but I have been left with PHN (post herpetic neuralgia) pain which is horrible. You don’t want shingles. There are two shingles vaccines, the one you get on the NHS and a newer one called Shingrix. You have to pay for that and it costs £230 per shot and you need two shots so £460. On a FB site I am on for PHN people say the Shingrix vaccine is much better than the other one. I am still getting the small outbreaks and I was in discussion with my GP before the pandemic hit about whether I should have one of the jabs. I have not seen him since and he has now left the practice. If you have ever had chicken pox, the virus is in your body and can activate at any time such as when your immune system is low, when you are stressed.

[Tapanac in reply to Crystalbowl]

Yes I caught my shingles from my grandson when he had chicken pox. They were staying with us for the half term holiday so it hadn’t properly materialised, but too late. The following year we were on our way from visiting friends and popped in to see my son and family and the same grandson had chicken pox again. I thought I would be fine as I had had it the previous year, but no I got shingles again. It was uncomfortable as you say. It was from my eyebrow all down the side of my nose to my mouth and even now after at least 11 years it still irritates and itches and sore eye occasionally.

About 2 years ago I went for my annual flu jab and my GP asked if I wanted my shingles jab as I was 75. I said no that’s ok as I had had it twice and he replied then that I definitely should have the jab because obviously I was susceptible

[Crystalbowl in reply to Tapanac]

Thank you. I am interested that your GP urged you to get the shingles jab even though you had had shingles twice. I have gathered from others that a lot of medics don’t believe you can get it more than once. The reason I asked about having the jab twice at my surgery was because mostly you get vaccinated to avoid getting whatever it is you are being vaccinated against because if you have had the illness, generally you have built up your immunity to the virus or whatever so the vaccination is not necessary. This was what I wanted to know, if there was any point and neither the GP or the nurse I asked said they didn’t know. I would like to have it but it seems so difficult to get a GP appointment at the moment. At my surgery you get triaged over the phone if you ring for an appointment and are then told whether you will get an in person appointment, a telephone consultation or given some advice about how to manage whatever it is you are ringing about and I wonder if such a request would be seen as necessary at the moment. It would be easier if there was a GP who was familiar with my shingles history but there isn’t as that GP has left.

[Geoffa1]

No issues whatever!

[Lacontie]

I had the shingles jab recently and it there was not after affects and I’m on Apixaban!