Shingles Vaccination

[Charlie1boy]

A couple of weeks ago, one of our Practice Nurses suggested to me that I should have a shingles vaccination. I said ok, but it would need to be the Shingrix version, not Zostavax.

They didn't have any Shingrix in stock, but said they would order it. Yesterday, they called back to say that this was a complex injection, and was not available on the NHS at the moment. They are, however contacting Public Health England to see if it can be made available .

Apparently, it costs £460 for two doses, so I may end up not having this vaccination at all.

Anyone else had problems vis a vis the Shingrix?

Paddy

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

I’m sure there are patients on here who have had the newer vaccine. I thought it had been approved for nhs use, but I may be wrong, sure someone will advise idc.

May depend on the practice as well of course.

[Charlie1boy in reply to DorsetLady]

Ah well, yes. I guess that explains my GP's response. I'll have to see what happens now.

Thank you very much for your reply.

Paddy

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It has only recently been introduced and was only approved in May in the USA. Being approved doesn't mean it is available to everyone. It can't be launched until there is an adequate supply - and the company doesn't have enough yet for general issue. Hence it is only available privately:

hhpharmacy.co.uk/shingles-v...

Useful link this - loads of info.

[Charlie1boy in reply to PMRpro]

Many thanks to you, as always, for your very helpful reply. The link, is excellent.

I think perhaps I should not have the Zostavax version, bearing in mind the PMR, but does the fact that I'm on a low dose of pred now (2.5 mg per day) make the Zostavax any less of a risk?

Paddy

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Charlie1boy]

I think that the low dose of pred would be acceptable to all doctors for the Zovirax vaccine but are you sure you want it? It can trigger shingles itself. It also depends how old you are as to how effective it is.

[Charlie1boy in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks PMRpro. Good question. I did not ask for the vaccination - they asked me.

I am 79 now, so I guess I'll risk not having it. No point in possibly provoking it!

All very helpful.

Paddy

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Charlie1boy]

The older you are the less likely it is that you will develop the immunity.

cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/shingl...

It works best in 60-69 year olds I think, less so in people in their 70s, In older patients it is claimed to reduce the post herpetic neuralgia problem to about half.

[Charlie1boy in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks again. I think your comments, and this latest link confirm my opinion not to go ahead with Zostavax.

Best wishes

Paddy

[Pooley66 in reply to Charlie1boy]

My mum asked for the vaccination and has never been ill. Our GP practice only gave it to certain ages 71-73 and 76 -79 (ridiculous!!) she was 75 at the time. Anyway in March last year she was diagnosed with shingles which lasted 4 weeks but she never felt right. Mum kept saying how exhausted she was, lost 3 stones of weight and kept going dizzy and being sick. By March this year she was beginning to faint. After an ambulance to hospital she was diagnosed with heart failure and pneumonia. 8 weeks on and she is still in hospital. In my opinion getting shingles has been totally life changing for her. Please get vaccinated. Shingles virus can cause strokes heart attacks so I have researched in the last few months.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Pooley66]

I do appreciate your concerns over your mother's illness but this isn't a black and white situation for us. The original Zovirax vaccine has polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) listed as an adverse effect. PMR can progess to GCA (giant cell arteritis) and GCA can also cause stroke and heart attack as well as potentially causing irreversible loss of sight. The Zovirax vaccine itself can also trigger an attack of shingles.

[HeronNS]

Read up on this because my husband had the Shingrix vaccination. It is two shots, and is made from killed virus so will not trigger the actual disease it's vaccinating against. I should tell you my hubby, who does not have PMR nor does he routinely take any medication for other conditions, other than eye drops for glaucoma, was completely flattened by the vaccination. The second one, several months after the first, was if anything worse than the first. But after forty eight hours the second time he was back to normal.

Zostavax is not as effective and loses its effectiveness. Shingrix is supposed to be much more effective and so far as we know, early days, maintains its effectiveness. I don't think anyone should be bothering with Zostavax any more.

I should also add that Shingrix isn't covered here either (don't think Zostavax is either) but it was certainly nothing like the cost you were quoted. More like Can$80, can't remember if that was for one or both shots, and partially covered by our private insurance (no universal pharmacare here yet). Our doctor wrote a prescription for him to get the shots at a pharmacy. I didn't follow up for myself because I don't think I ever had chicken pox.

[Charlie1boy in reply to HeronNS]

Thank you for your reply HeronNS. Yes, it all adds up doesn't it?

I shan't be having the Zostavax vaccine, and it seems the Shingrix is unlikely to be available to me as yet.

Really helpful - this forum!

Cheers

Paddy

[Ryliefew123dogcat]

I am very surprised you couldn't get the Shingrix vac in UK. It is everywhere here in Canada. &140.00 a pop. Everyone wants it. It can give some bad reactions though. There is also a booster after 6 months.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Ryliefew123dogcat]

I have explained in my post why not. It is available in the UK privately at a cost of £460 for 2 shots. There are not adequate stocks with the manufacturer for all European health systems to have the unlimited supplies they would require to role it out generally and so far only a few countries have it.

[HeronNS in reply to Ryliefew123dogcat]

I think Canada was the first country to approve it.

[OutdoorsyGal]

I had both shots of Shingrix during treatment for PMR.

I had had the older vaccine a few years earlier, but my internist said to get the new one because it was better, AND to get it before reaching Medicare age because Medicare would not cover it.

The first shot laid me right out, I felt like I had the flu - I came home and crawled into bed for the rest of the day, but was just fine after that. The pharmacist who administered the shot knew I was on prednisone (9mg, I think). The second shot was given - on the very last day of my ACA (Obamacare) insurance - at 3 mg, and I barely noticed it.

The shots were very expensive and hard to get. You got your name added to a list, and the pharmacy called you to come in when they had received their allotment of doses, only 10 at a time. I feel fortunate that “my” dose came in before my insurance coverage for it ended.

My concerns about getting the vaccine while being treated for PMR were more about whether the efficacy of the vaccine would be impacted. No one raised the issue of whether the shot could trigger my illness.

[gaqke10]

The Shingrix shot is also difficult to find in the US, though covered by Medicare. I got both

shots last year, luckily just before they ran out. My husband wasn't able to get the shots

just a few weeks later. The pharmacy told us to check back in the spring. I guess it's spring now so we should check. I got the shots as I was developing PMRd and didn't have

a diagnosis yet, so no pred yet. I didn't have any negative reaction.

[Blondenettie]

My rheumatologist told me not to get the Shingles vaccine

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Blondenettie]

Which though?

[Charlie1boy in reply to Blondenettie]

Thanks. After all the replies I got, especially the information from PMRpro, I have decided not to go ahead even with the Shingrix vaccination.

Paddy

[kewl1]

I live in Canada, The Canadian government is/was giving the shingles vaccination free to those between 65 and 70. My wife and I both got it about 2 years ago. A few months ago her Dr told her that she wants her to get the new, 2 shot version for CDN $300 because the old one doesn't work as well. My wife has not gone for the new one yet but a week ago I got shingles. I believe this is probably a mild case compared to most. But if this if is mild. I sure would not want a regular or bad case. So I am insisting that my wife get the new one regardless of cost. And I will get it as well. I believe I have to wait a while now. I went to a walk-in clinic a couple of days after getting this painful rash. They told me if it is under 72 hours since it appeared that can help me. I think it must be pretty close so I got the Famciclovir which is is a guanosine analogue antiviral drug which I have been on for a couple of days now. It's not getting any worse but doesn't seem much better. I have to take 3 pills per day for 7 days. You don't want to get shingles. It can be extremely painful and we know people who have had it return 5 times. From what I read the new 2-part vaccine is 95% effective while the old one is 61%. I also read that in our lifetime one in three will get shingles and I don't like those odds

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to kewl1]

Not antibiotics - antiviral medication which should shorten the attack and make it milder.

[kewl1 in reply to PMRpro]

Oops, thanks I'll go back and correct that. I wasn't thinking. I still have chemo - brain

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to kewl1]

Tell me about it - don't think it was pred brain but yesterday I couldn't get my head round anything!! A temp of 37C probably wasn't helping

[kewl1]

37? Holy cow! Where are you?

[Constance13 in reply to kewl1]

I think it's in the most of Europe at the moment. PMRpro is in Italy, but it's the same here in Germany.😟

[kewl1 in reply to Constance13]

And there are still people that don't belive in Climate Cahnge.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to kewl1]

As Constance says, northern Italy, at 850m/2800ft altitude. Down in the valley, Bozen is often the hottest city in Italy (seriously) and touched 40C this week, but I suspect it's been hotter where she is.

[kewl1 in reply to PMRpro]

Incredible!

[benhemp]

I just got the 2nd of my two Shingrix shots three days ago. The two shots were given about 9 weeks apart; you're supposed to get the 2nd shot 2 to 6 months after the first. (I am getting a number of vaccinations out of the way before going back on prednisone after having stopped the prednisone back in April; I'm told I'll have better immune system response to vaccines when not on prednisone.) Both shots caused me to have fever and strong chills on the night of my injection; couldn't get warm without a hot water bottle and an extra wool blanket. Both times I also experienced significant muscle stiffness and pain in the shoulder that got the injection, similar to what you'd get from a tetanus shot. I'm glad to have this particular vaccination behind me. Not fun!