shingles

brian1958

I am slowly recovering from shingles, it is now week 5, and it has been very painful
I Highley recommend that you talk to your GP about getting the shingles vaccine. I am having mine in April as my doctor as advised it even though I have had shingles.
so people please go see your GP.
 

Zimba

@brian1958
 Hi there and welcome to Scope, glad you’re on the road to recovery it’s a very painful over looked virus, I feel there should be more vaccine available for the at risk, my Dr will only give it to the over 70s.
 Shingles put my DD in hospital with what could have been a life threatening condition she is still traumatised from it and the thought of ever catching it again still scares her.

Jimm_Scope

Hey @brian1958, I've heard how horrible shingles can be. 

For anyone reading this, you can get the shingles vaccine on the NHS if you are between 70-79. I really wish they extended to younger age brackets too. In the USA and parts of the EU you can get it from 50. 

If you have private insurance here I do wonder if you could get it earlier than what the NHS recommends, but I don't know the answer to that! I know you can pay to get it done from 50, but the NHS won't do it until 70.

Studies found that giving the shingles vaccine to everyone 50 and above is cheaper long-term than treating the number of people in the population getting shingles and needing hospitalisation and more treatment. I do wish the NHS focused on prevention more, as preventing a disease is much cheaper than treating it.

Thank you for this little announcement brian, hopefully some people will see it and get their vaccine if they are eligible and be able to avoid shingles.

brian1958

Jimm_Scope said:

Hey @brian1958, I've heard how horrible shingles can be. 

For anyone reading this, you can get the shingles vaccine on the NHS if you are between 70-79. I really wish they extended to younger age brackets too. In the USA and parts of the EU you can get it from 50. 

If you have private insurance here I do wonder if you could get it earlier than what the NHS recommends, but I don't know the answer to that! I know you can pay to get it done from 50, but the NHS won't do it until 70.

Studies found that giving the shingles vaccine to everyone 50 and above is cheaper long-term than treating the number of people in the population getting shingles and needing hospitalisation and more treatment. I do wish the NHS focused on prevention more, as preventing a disease is much cheaper than treating it.

Thank you for this little announcement brian, hopefully some people will see it and get their vaccine if they are eligible and be able to avoid shingles.

brian1958

jimm,i am 65 so i think you can get the vaccine, you need to talk to your GP.Are you in the uk?

Jimm_Scope

From what I've read @brian1958 the NHS provides them for everyone between 70-79, but you can get it from 50 if you have a weakened immune system. 

I'm not actually in any of these age brackets, I just think the NHS should be providing them to everyone at a younger age than 70. Not just those with  weakened immune systems!