I am going for a shingles vaccination on 29th June. I know there has been information about it on here before but I can't find it. I know I need the Shingrix vaccine and believe that you need a 2nd one 2 months later. I would like to hear about your experiences of Shingrix. . Of course, I have googled it and it sounds like there can be unpleasant side effects. I am in 2 minds now but really want to have it as I know shingles is very painful and can last for years at worst. Thank you.
Shingles Vaccine: I am going for a shingles vaccination... - NRAS
Shingles Vaccine
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Sheila_G
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I don't know much about it, but I have had shingles, I thought you couldn't get it twice, you have to be 70 in the UK to have it, but I have thought about it?
There are 2 shingles vaccines available in the UK:
Zostavax, a live vaccine given as 1 dose
Shingrix, a non-live vaccine given as 2 doses
If Zostavax is not suitable for you, a GP or practice nurse will decide whether to offer you Shingrix instead.
Shingles can come back as the virus never leaves the body. So even if you’ve had it as I had you still need the vaccine and to make it more complex even then you can still get it reoccur. But not as badly.
Yes. I know I will have Shingrix but just wanted to know if any side effects really. Thanks for reply.
I had the shingles vaccine. . One dose only. No side affects at all…( . have no idea what the name was )
I was replying to Sheila _G when I accidently cancelled it!!
But I was interested in your reply as I had no idea that a non-live vaccine existed. Many years ago I was refused the live-vaccine because I was taking methotrexate. I'm now inclined to ask my GP about this Shingrix vaccine. I still take methotrexate, and it's good to know that a non-live vaccine might be possible for me.
Thank you for the information - yet another occasion when this Forum comes up trumps with useful knowledge.
I had the non live shingles vaccine given in 2 doses at my GP surgery last year and both times I was ok afterwards x
Heya Sheila_G, I had the Shingrix vaccine in February and April because of a change of meds from Kevzara to Rinvoq (I'm in Switzerland where you are eligible for it if your on a JAK inhibitor). The first jab was no problem at all, no side effects except a bit of a sore arm. After the second jab I had side effects for maybe 24h (chills, fever, headache) but it was over really quickly and I just took paracetamol to deal with it. I suspect I had side effects because by the time of the second jab I'd tapered off the Pred completely so this might have made the vaccine more effective. I'm glad I had it done and the side effects really weren't too bad. Good luck!! All the best, Christine xx
Thank you Christine. That's good to hear.
I had only one vaccine which was given to me prior to starting biological meds
Thanknyou for your reply.
I was hospitalised with Shingles so no matter about side effects please get it done. Yes it really hurts the first time and my arm was red and sore for over week and it’s only about 75% effective but even so Shingles is dreadful. Agony is an understatement and I still have some nerve damage down my left upper thigh. Please don’t be put off as sometimes especially when side effects are not long lasting are something worth putting up with. Take some paracetamol before you get it and you might get no side effects at all.
Thank you for your advice. You have helped to make up my mind. I will certainly have it.
Not everyone is as unlucky as you ML….I had Shingles on my face whilst on Rtx……over my eye & in to my head…pre Shingrix availability in UK.
Yes it was unpleasant, with pins & needles type headaches for a while afterwards. Now I’m too old to get any Shingles vaccination ….so hopefully nothing reactivates the virus again.
Oh no. I know you can only get it on NHS until 80 but I thought you could pay for one after that time. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I have no idea how much it costs though.
I suppose you can….but by the time you have paid for the vaccine & a doctor/clinic to inject the two vaccinations I guess you’d be in for well over £500?
I know full well my NHS GP would not do it….I argued every year when I got the offer of the live vaccine ….the Practice Nurse refused to believe I shouldn’t receive a live vaccine…despite me printing off the reason why & giving it to her…..so each year she just wrote on my record “ Patient Refused Shingles vaccination “.
When I actually got Shingles I did mention that to the doctor who prescribed the anti virals…but he turned out to be a Locum who said he would ention it to the Senior Partner..but I never heard whether he did.
Yes that's very expensive. Worrying that the nurse didn't accept that you needed the shingrix vaccine and put what she did on your record. I am going to ring GP to check they have got the right vaccine for me before I go. So sorry you can't have it now.
I’m not too worried about it …I was extremely lucky & when I did develop it….it wasn’t too bad.Of course things could change, but for now ,I will just cross my fingers as research does show the vaccination isn’t as effective for those over 80.
I spent half the night awake with the heat & I learned something on line.
Boots have a Boots Doctor service where they give the two Shingrix vaccines for £450. It didn’t mention conditions like age or health conditions, but anyone interested could check the Boots website.
I always have my Flu jab at my local Boots. They usually start the vaccinations before most GPs,& if you are on infusions where timing is important,I have found they are very flexible about giving you the date you need.
I have my flu jabs at my local Chemist. They are usually early and have a much better atmosphere.
And they let you choose your date….my practice sent me a date & time,& when I phoned saying the date was too close to my infusion..I got the almost polite reply “That’s tough all the dates have been allocated” Now on my record is says “Had Infuenza vaccination at local pharmacy”.
Don’t think that will get them many Brownie Points..but if it makes them happy….so be it.
wow
Heavens! What's this about being too old for the shingles vaccine? I've just replied to Florida1959 thanking her for the information about the non-live vaccine as I had been refused the vaccine years ago because I was, and still am, taking Methotrexate when it was offered.
Now, at 87, it looks as though I've missed the boat - like you. Your experience with the virus sounds extremely unpleasant. I have escaped the virus, but feel a bit miffed that I may have been able to have the shingrix vaccine but wasn't informed by my doctors that is was available.
What could reactivate the virus? Chicken pox, perhaps?
Well, as far as I know stress & a weakened immune system are the main reasons for developing Shingles…..neither of which are easy to avoid.
I just try to eat healthily & not to frequent crowded places…but although I did have Shingles it wasn’t as bad as a lot described, so just hope I escape a second bout,
I was speaking to a friend on the phone about this earlier and her understanding was that the non-live vaccine was introduced about 2017. If that was so, then as I was 82, I would have been refused it on grounds of age.
That leaves me with the only sensible precaution of avoiding large crowds - just as you have pointed out. And, also, to steer clear of small children with chicken pox . The mother of my friend picked up the virus from one of her grandchildren - in the 1960s. Apparently, she suffered from the after-effects for the rest of her life.
It's just another thing to be aware of. Fortunately, I'm no longer a party-goer. Also, I don't have grandchildren - but I don't consider that fortunate!
I'm not sure how much methotrexate affects the immune system - not as much as some of the biologics, perhaps.
I avoided Shingles for the time I was on Mtx..but I don’t know what the actual statistics are .I developed it when I was on Rtx but I have no idea how it got me. …now I don’t worry about it.I try not to get too stressed about anything…but right now I’m just hoping the very hot sun isn’ too much for my newly planted roses!
Shingles is listed as a side effect on the product information literature that comes with Rinvoq.
Quite right! Roses first. I hope they have a good season. We are launching into an entirely new (for us) world of gardening - or non-gardening.
"Wilding" - it's called. The difficulty is getting a really good mix of wild meadow flowers, all flowering at the same time. Just letting them all fight it out was our first thought - but those who know about these things, say it is not as easy as that. We stopped mowing at the beginning of May - as advised - but so far have only seen 3 types of flowers - yellow "mouse-ears", tall white ox-eye daisies and an orangy red "foxes and cubs". Lovely, graceful grasses make up the background. Earlier a grassy bank was covered with wild primroses; now other flowers are appearing - some I have yet to identify.
It's all quite fascinating. I learn something every day. But this is hazel nut country - and squirrels bury the nuts everwhere; and we don't want a nut forest, so a certain amount of ruthlessness has to be practised!
your garden sounds blissful. We have planted wild seeds to attract bees but only one type thrived and drowned out the others and even a well established wild ish plant we left in. The bees have come though 🐝
How difficult nature is!! But don't give up - things won't always go the way we would like; bees are happy with all the wild flowers they find. We had a nest of wild bees last year between the sandstone slabs of a retaining wall - they didn't return this year, but that is quite usual apparently; the surviving queens would have sought new sites this year.
A neighbour at the bottom of our garden has a couple of hives and she is enthusiastic about wild flowers too. The rate at which all insects are disappearing is truly worrying. Nature needs all the help we can give it.
good comment, I had shingles but wasn't too bad.
Don’t be in two minds. I’ve had shingles and I never want to again. I’ve had the two Shingrix vaccines and I had no problems at all with either of them eight weeks apart. I know which I ‘d rather have ………..
Thank you. I am not in two minds any more. I will definitely have it.
I had mine late 2021 and then January 2022. No side effects with either for me. I paid as not eligible on the NHS as only in my 40s. My mum had shingles so I decided I didn’t want to take the risk as was starting a Jak Inhibitor and it’s one of the potential side effects of this medication 😊
Thank you. I will be having it. Good for you for asking for the jab. I know it is difficult to do that. My dad got bowel cancer at 51 years old and when I turned 51, I volunteered myself for 3 yearly colonoscopies. My GP was very impressed. I think he would have given me an OBE if he could. 🤣
Good information here . I asked my rheumy if i should have it as im on rituximab, she told me i should get it 4 weeks after infusion. I haven’t arranged it yet as i need to wait 2 more weeks, hopefully the gp won’t have an issue as im not 70 .
Fingers crossed.
let us know please, this is a really interesting topic
Will do 👍
I have had the Shingrix vac. No side effects at all. Good luck.
I would get it too but i dont want to pay the non-subsidised price. Hoping it will come down
Hi Sheila, I had my first Shingrix last December and the second in April...the thinking then was that the second would be within six months. That has now changed to ideally two, but up to six months after.
I had a bad headache after the first jab which lasted for 24hrs but then just some pain in the site itself. The second vaccine hit me hard...I was very hot and my whole body was shaking (rigors) accompanied by a great deal of pain in every bone in my body throughout the night which abated over the next twelve hours. By the evening I felt a lot better. I will admit that I felt really ill. However, my understanding is that this is one of the rarer reactions. Would I have it again? Yes, absolutely yes, because I have known people to suffer the pain of shingles for more than a year. Because shingles is a nerve pain it is, therefore, really intense, it impacted on their everyday living.
I had Shingrix. 2 jabs, at the recommended time apart. It was fine...I just had a bit of a sore arm and not for long.
Hey mate, I’m in Australia, had my first shingrix a few weeks ago and the only side effect was a sore arm for maybe four or five days so no big deal. Yes, younneed a second one 2-6 months later.
You’ll be fine, rather get a sore arm than shingles.
Absolutely. Thanks for reply. G'day.
I had Shingrix last year and apart from sore arm I was fine
Hello Sheila. I had my first Shingrix jab on Monday and am booked in for the second dose in 8 weeks.
I have slight discomfort at the injection site but absolutely no other side effects at all.
Friends who have had shingles say it’s really painful and can cause long term neurological problems for some people so I would rather take the jabs any day!!
Yes. I don't think there is a sensible option. I'm going for it. Thanks for reply.
Have had shingles and would prefer not to have it again! Am due to phone surgery today to book the second half of the vaccination - no after effects after first one.
I’m on sulphasalazine, mtx and etanercept biological. I’ve been told in no uncertain terms that I cannot have any shingles vaccine. After reading all of this, I think I need to investigate further. I know how bad shingles can be as my eldest son, who also has MS had it on his face several years ago and really suffered with it.
Do check whether you could have the Shingrix vaccine as it’s not a live vaccine and is recommended for those of us on biologic drugs. On the NHS neither will be offered until you are 70.
Thanks. I will definitely look into it. I have been assured by two doctors and a nurse practitioner than I couldn’t have it….interesting…
I had two doses of the non live one, shringrix and was ok. Slightly off colour for the second one, not enough to stop me doing anything, and recovered within the day. I am very sensitive to drugs so was surprised that it was not a lot worse.
Right, I had my first shingrix 4 weeks ago, I am allergic to most drugs but had no effects fron this jab except a really painful arm and that was because the nurse hit a nerve xx
Hi, I had the shingles vaccine 1st dose few weeks ago. No other side effects except pain at injection site and upper arm which went away after few days. This is just my personal experience and hope it helps.
Hi There,
My experience with it was good.
I was so scared and thought it was going to hurt, but it didn't and did not recognise any side effects but everyone is different. As we all suffer from chronic illness it might be that any side effect may be masked by our daily symptoms. My arm felt a little sore for about 48 hrs and that was it. I am having my second next week, as I had to move and was busy. So my second one was actually due in April. The nurse said yes 2mths after for the second is ideal, but a patient actually has 6mths between shots. She said they don't like to say that to people otherwise people will wait too long to get the second and will have to start all over from he beginning. I got shingles after trying to take Benepali, and I had an allergic reaction to it. They are going to trial me on Golimumab, but it's in the same family as Bene so I don't think it will work. I asked them why they don't give me something different altogether and they said protocol says we have to try different biologics in the same family even though you had an allergic reaction, before we switch altogether. I think it's a bit ridiculous especially if a person has had an allergic reaction to it. Lol sorry I went off on a tangent lol diagnosed ADHD here 
Thanks for your reply. I am used to injections so not worried about that or sore arm. That's nothing. I just need to change arrangements for a few days if there is going to be a reaction. It sounds like the majority of people are fine with it so that's ok. It seems strange to me too that you would be given another similar drug after having an allergic reaction but then they know better than us. Whatever you have, I hope it works for you and you tolerate it well. Good luck.
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