There are two types of vaccines

• Zostavax (Live Vaccine)
  • Single dose
  • Has higher side effects profile
  • £170 per dose
  • Here is link to the Patient Information Leaflet 

•  Shingrix (None-Live)
  • Two doses administered 2 to 6 months apart
  • Has a lower side effects profile
  • £225 per dose
  • Here is link to the Patient Information Leaflet 

For convenience, the shingles vaccine is routinely administered at the same time as the seasonal influenza vaccine. However some patients eligible for flu vaccine will be immunosuppressed and so should not be given the shingles vaccine.

Yes, a previous clinical history of chickenpox infection is not a pre-requisite for receiving the shingles vaccine.

Although an individual may present without a clinical history of chickenpox, many such patients would have had a subclinical infection without being aware. Therefore, the vaccine should still be offered to individuals without a clinical history of chickenpox to ensure protection against zoster.

Yes. Shingles vaccines can be administered concomitantly with other vaccines such as inactivated influenza and 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) and live vaccines such as Yellow Fever.

Zostavax should ideally be given at the same time as other live vaccines. If live vaccines cannot be administered simultaneously, a four week interval is recommended.

The shingles rash usually occurs on one side of the body, in a line along a nerve pathway. The rash begins as a tingling in the area then forms a cluster of small red spots that often blister. Shingles rashes can last 2–4 weeks, but in some people the nerve pain, also called postherpetic neuralgia, can last for months or even years. For most people, the pain associated with the rash lessens as it heals. 

Other symptoms of shingles can include fever, headache, chills and upset stomach. In some people, severe complications include pneumonia, blindness, hearing problems, brain inflammation and even death.

You cannot catch shingles from another person with shingles; however, a person who has never had chickenpox or been vaccinated for chickenpox could get chickenpox from someone with shingles.

Shingles is far more common in people ages 50+. At least 1 million people per year in the United States get shingles. Almost 1 in 3 adults will develop shingles in their lifetime. While most people will only get shingles once, a small percentage may get it more than once.

• Headache
• Digestive problems
• Mild rash
• Pain, redness, itching, and/or swelling at the injection site
• Irritability
• Loss of appetite
• Muscle or joint pain
• Pain or swelling of the lymph nodes

Please the refer to information leaflets for the full list of side effects.

Shingles vaccination is suitable for people above the age of 50 years.

Those that never had chickenpox in the past are not suitable for either vaccine.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women are not allowed to get this vaccination. It is recommend that you should not try for a baby for at least 4 weeks.

The NHS Shingles web page has a wealth of information that is very useful.

A US resource (CDC) info on Shingrix:

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/shingles/public/shingrix/index.html