Getting Shingles is just horrible as I have learnt from my brother-in-law’s experience. He was sick for many months. When my doctor recommended the vaccine (Shingrix) at my physical, I took it right away. It is supposed to make you sick for a couple of days. I am bracing for it.

@parag is this given after a certain age?

@parag a friend of ours got intestinal shingles. He had a bad time as you can imagine. Starting with it being rare to get it intestinally so took a while to diagnose. We’ve been vaccinated for several years.

@supremus Not sure if it is 45+ or 50+ . Ask your doctor at your next physical. In case you didn't know, Shingles is chickenpox when you get it as an adult. If you have had chickenpox as a child, you are protected from reinfection but, that immunity wanes and you could get infected later in life - like my BIL. It is worse than chickenpox as the symptoms - high fevers and skin lesions - last for a long time even with treatment.

@parag I had chickenpox vaccine as a kid but good reminder will ask next time.

@mbkriegh It is a good idea to spread the word about Shingles vaccine. It is easy to prevent such horrible disease.

@parag You can take it only after you are 50, right? Or is it 60?

@pratik In the UK, it's only offered to over-70s.

@adders That seems to be a long time to wait. I have heard of plenty of people over 50 getting it and as @parag said, everyone said it was horrible.

@pratik I got it in my teens, and it was indeed horrible.

@pratik checked the CDC website. Recommended for people 50+ . @adders The virus stays dormant after the childhood infection and for some yet unknown reason gets activated in older people.

@parag Well, something to look forward to when I hit 50.

@pratik Shingles - when I was 15. I had chicken pox as a toddler.

@parag I would definitely plan for a couple of days off. If it isn't that bad for you, then you get a couple bonus days to focus on something else. 😊 The shot laid me low for a couple days. But I was grateful to go through it, having witnessed the alternative. I think the name doesn't reflect how serious the affliction is.

@adders Ouch! Double whammy that quickly must have been rough.

@parag You can get chickenpox as an adult. Then you can get shingles too! In fact you generally have to get chickenpox first, then the virus lurks in your system until it's reactivated long afterward and appears as shingles. My wife and I both got the vaccine in our early 60s, as the doctors recommended. My wife got shingles anyway. Very unpleasant, though the doctor insisted that the vaccination protected her from worse symptoms.
It's an illness that's well worth doing what you can to avoid.

@pratik I don't really remember the toddler chickenpox, but shingles in my teens was really horrible. Those shingles lesions really hurt.

@jean @jmaxb Thanks for sharing your experience. Hoping for mild symptoms for a day or two. But, I can act as if they are bad and get pampered by my wife. :)

@parag I've never had shingles and never want to.

@khurtwilliams Getting the vaccine is the best way to avoid getting shingles.

@JMaxB My first shingle shot cost me $500 out-of-pocket, the pharmacy insisting that my insurance didn't cover it. Only after the payment and the shot did they disclose that my chance of getting shingles was only reduced by 50%.

I was mightily peeved.

@ReaderJohn Hmm, I remember our shots being about $60 each, uninsured. Maybe you got an "improved" vaccine?

@parag Started flu-like body ache at about 12 hours after getting the vaccine. Didn't sleep well at all. Avg HR was elevated by 15 bpm over my usual sleeping HR. Have no energy today. Hope this all goes away soon.

@parag I got influenza and shingles vaccines last night. I woke up feeling great, but it’s all gone downhill now. Aches and the chills. 🥴