I got shingles a few years ago at age 50 and still have lingering effects. I was told by my doctor that people who get shingles have the same chance of getting it again as the general population of people who have never had shingles. I think as you get older, your immune system is less effective in fighting off the virus, which is why the vaccine is recommended at 50 or 60.

I know I need to stop procrastinating and get the vaccine.

Anonymous wrote:My doc won't give it to me until I am 60. I am 51.

Your doctor doesn't have to be the one to give it to you. Any pharmacy can give you the shot. Fire your doctor because your doctor is foolish.

The whole reason the shot is recommended and paid for by insurance companies once you are 60 is not based on anything medical. It was assumed when the shot was first developed that it would be in high demand there would be shortages. The CDC/medical community decided that the 60+ population was most vulnerable to the worst side affects of shingles. There are no shortages of the vaccine and the recommendation has stayed in place for no good reason. People get shingles at much younger ages and are also vulnerable to the worst side affects.

Op, I got the shot at 50 and if I had known about it I would have gotten it at 40. I will probably get another shot in 10-15 years. Although it is not 100% guaranteed to prevent shingles, if you do get shingles it should be more mild.

I paid around $200 to get my shot at Costco.

I had a severe shingles case at the age of 21. I'm just about 60 now. I'm afraid that the vaccine will trigger the sleeping shingles that I had. Or do I have this all wrong.

My doc won't give it to me until I am 60. I am 51.

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't. And to the PP who's never had chicken pox, you will not get shingles. But you very well might get chicken pox, which is horrible when you are older

This person is correct.

My mom had a mild case of shingles for the first time in her 80s - on doctor's advice she got the vaccine after that.

It doesn't. And to the PP who's never had chicken pox, you will not get shingles. But you very well might get chicken pox, which is horrible when you are older

Anonymous wrote:Let's be clear you don't contract shingles. Shingles is the re-emergence of the latent chicken pox virus. Shingles can appear at anytime. The vaccine is protective because it primes your immune system to fight it off if the virus tried to re-emerge.

Why does age make a difference in the effectiveness of the vaccine?

Let's be clear you don't contract shingles. Shingles is the re-emergence of the latent chicken pox virus. Shingles can appear at anytime. The vaccine is protective because it primes your immune system to fight it off if the virus tried to re-emerge.