non live shingles vaccine

[Daffodilia]

I will be having my shingles vaccine soon (70 in May) - should I ask for non live vaccine - Shingrax? I take 6 mg of prednisolone a day - GP says live vaccine ok if on less than 7.5 mg but check with nurse - should I go private if GP won’t let offer non live vaccine?

[Nextoneplease]

Hi Daffodilia 😊

Well your GP doesn’t sound too confident - “okay but check with nurse” 🤦‍♀️

Personally I’d be wanting Shingrix but do check the entries on shingles issues in ‘Related Posts’ to the right of this page x

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

I would be pushing for the Shingrix vaccine... actually it may be the practice manager you need to check with - it's more expensive!

as Nextoneplease says plenty of info here - healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

[Dorsetgirl17]

Had my Shingrix this morning. I am on a low dose and had been told would not qualify for this. I had done my homework and as I am a vegetarian and the other one has pork derivative was allowed to have it after all. Seems no one in the practice was aware of this and had to check it out!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I wouldn't accept the Zostavax live vaccine anyway as a patient with PMR - it is one of the listed adverse effects of the vaccine!

[dancersize2]

My rheumatologist said the live vaccine ( free for over 70's in Oz) isn't as effective as the Shingrix. There is a push here to get Shingrix on the free list for all who need it so I've decided to wait a couple more years. Currently 73. Hope I don't get shingles while I wait.

[Daffodilia in reply to dancersize2]

I don't want to wait. Will offer to pay GP surgery if the cost is a problem. Also contacting local private hospital (used for cataract) to ask if they can give Shingrax and cost.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Daffodilia]

It's about £450 - depends on where you go though.

Here

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

they charge £440 for the two shots whereas the Fleet St clinic charges £599!

[Daffodilia]

Thanks I have asked about home visits as Hampstead would not be a convenient place to visit. How do I know this is a reputable company please?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Daffodilia]

You don't any more than any private clinic is reputable! It is a private vaccination clinic - common enough in London for holiday vaccinations. I just googled the price of the vaccine and it came up. There will be other vaccination clinics in London if that is where you live,

Home visits look a fairly hefty price - £80 for the visit plus £10 per mile on top of the cost of the vaccine. I would be standing my ground with the GP - who I am fairly sure can prescribe the Shingrix vaccination for you to have administered at the practice free since it is a service they would be providing whichever vaccine is in the syringe.

nhs.uk/conditions/travel-va....

If a GP will provide travel vaccines for a charge they can also do SHingrix for a charge. GPs are in end effect private practitioners whose services are bought in by the NHS

[Daffodilia in reply to PMRpro]

Happier to pay GP - I could look in Cambridge area - lots of private medicine there - Bury St Edmunds private hospital are sending quote - thnx for help

[67Blue]

had my 2nd one done for free at the local surgery here in Suffolk recently. Had to get the hospital Rhumat. at Ipswich to send them an email saying I was to have that one. My dr had suggested I wait till I was off steroids, but when I told the rhumat that (I just happened to be asked in for my final review ) when I said they are in crisis she said "so what", she was very annoyed and said how did he know how long before I would be completely off steroids. I was on 1 at the time of my first and then down to 1/2 mg for the second one. I wouldn't pay if you can manage to convince them you need it. The nurse said it would save a lot of hassle of sorting out what medication people take if they had carried out their intention of a couple of years ago and everyone got Shingrix. I was in the age group last year UK said was due for the injection . Good luck with that

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to 67Blue]

The main reason it is limited is that the take-up of Shingrix when it was introduced in the USA cleared out the stocks, especially since Zostavax is no longer available there and there is no age restriction. The company didn't have enough to supply all the state-funded healthcare countries with enough to cover the anticipated demand at the same time, so initially it was private only and then limited use. I have no doubt there is also an element of the Zostavax suddenly being FAR cheaper to use up stocks ...

[67Blue in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks, there is often a answer for things we know nothing about. I had read it is far more effective, and having a friend who is about to lose the sight from 1 eye due to shingles (she had the normal vacccine 4 years ago) I was so relieved to read on the forum about Shingrix. So it was worth the wait I'm sure. At one attempt there was no one capable if giving it so another cancellation.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to 67Blue]

"there was no one capable if giving it so another cancellation." - what? It's only a blasted vaccine ...

[67Blue in reply to PMRpro]

I presumed as they had to find a muscle to put it in it was beyond the people who had been madly jabbing away with the flu and covid jabs, to get their money, I guess those just went anywhere. If I didn't laugh I would cry at our present situation.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to 67Blue]

The upper arm is the usual place for most vaccines. Or the thigh though that is a bit more risky. It's hardly rocket science ...

[HeronNS in reply to 67Blue]

Shingrix is packaged in two containers and these have to be mixed a certain (short) time before the vaccine is injected. I had to wait (about ten minutes?) after I arrived as they couldn't mix it ahead of time

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to HeronNS]

10 mins? What were they doing, making a cup of tea…..mine took seconds, once nurse had opened packaging 😊

[HeronNS in reply to DorsetLady]

There was a delay - this was the on-duty pharmacist giving me my shot. My point really was maybe there was no one available for 67blue who had ever given that kind of vaccine (or maybe any vaccine) before. I wouldn't want someone who hadn't been shown what to do and done it in front of someone who knew what they were doing to put it into my arm.

She did apologise for taking so long. I could hear she wasn't slacking off during my wait!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to HeronNS]

Fair dos 😊

[Daffodilia in reply to PMRpro]

Hi PMR Pro - Hampstead Clinic charge £220 for each vaccine plus £300 on top for each home visit. I shall definitely look elsewhere.

[Lafontainepam1]

no live vaccination, only Shingrix

[HeronNS]

Anyone who chances upon this thread, heed the comment above by PMRpro that PMR is a known side effect from live - Zostavax - vaccine. It is much less effective, especially in older people, than Shingrix. Hold out for Shingrix if you possibly can. I don't think Zostavax is even available in the US any more, and last time I looked was being phased out in Canada, may be gone now. We were never offered Zostavax, only Shingrix, which my husband had several years ago when it first came out. We received our vaccines on GP's prescription from our pharmacy and it was partly covered by our own insurance as it isn't covered by our public system in Nova Scotia - but neither was Zostavax.