# New Shingles Vaccine is a Tough One!



## WinniWoman (Jun 7, 2018)

I had the other shingles vaccine 2 years ago without issue.

Yesterday I had the first of what is two shots (second to be 2-6 months later) of the new one the CDC  recommends. Well- omg! 1 in 6 people have side effects and I am one of them. Body aches, chills, couldn't sleep all night I hurt so much all over. (Not that I sleep well anyway). The sore arm is the least of it.

Now at work- hope I can make it through the day. I need to buy aspirin. What we have at home is expired- mainly because we are very lucky not to ever need it.

And I have to go through this again in a few months?~ UGH!


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## Passepartout (Jun 7, 2018)

DW's doc was insistent that she get it. I balked at the $155 per dose price for me, but she's beyond the 'donut hole' and hers is cheap. DW got a sore injection site for several days but OK otherwise. Otoh, she's had shingles like 3 times in the last 20 years, and I haven't. Sorry you hit the side effect 'lotto'.


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## Panina (Jun 7, 2018)

mpumilia said:


> I had the other shingles vaccine 2 years ago without issue.
> 
> Yesterday I had the first of what is two shots (second to be 2-6 months later) of the new one the CDC  recommends. Well- omg! 1 in 6 people have side effects and I am one of them. Body aches, chills, couldn't sleep all night I hurt so much all over. (Not that I sleep well anyway). The sore arm is the least of it.
> 
> ...



So sorry, side affects of medicines are so different for each person. Hopefully it will pass soon.  Tell your doctor what happened to make sure you are ok taking the second dose.

I had the other shingle shot a few years ago.  I was fine but my hubby got shingles 10 days after I took the shot.  Hmm, related, professionals say no but I wonder.

What does this new shot offer versus the other?


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## DaveNV (Jun 7, 2018)

This just reminded me I'm supposed to get the new shot. My doc called in the prescription to a local Pharmacy I rarely go to. Thanks for the poke, so to speak...

Dave


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## klpca (Jun 7, 2018)

Sorry that you had such a difficult reaction. Definitely let your doctor know. Maybe you can go back on the old shot in the future.

I can't get the vaccine (on immunosupressants) so I just have to hope I don't get shingles.


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## VacationForever (Jun 7, 2018)

I have never had chicken pox and took the chicken pox vaccine twice, once in the 90s and then again in 2005 when I was tested to still not have any antibodies.  In 2016 I asked my doctor about taking the shingles vaccine and he ran blood test and it showed that I did not have the chicken pox antibodies.  He said I could not have the shingles vaccine.  I asked about another chicken pox vaccination and he said it would not "stick" and pointless.  His advice was to stay away from anyone with chicken pox or shingles.


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## Steve Fatula (Jun 7, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> I have never had chicken pox and took the chicken pox vaccine twice, once in the 90s and then again in 2005 when I was tested to still not have any antibodies.  In 2016 I asked my doctor about taking the shingles vaccine and he ran blood test and it showed that I did not have the chicken pox antibodies.  He said I could not have the shingles vaccine.  I asked about another chicken pox vaccination and he said it would not "stick" and pointless.  His advice was to stay away from anyone with chicken pox or shingles.



That would be my luck. Or, I'd get very ill taking the vaccine. As you know, I generally get any side effect of anything. No matter how unlikely! So, I tend to avoid all such things. I'm always the 1 in 6 or 1 in a million guy.

And before anyone thinks weak immune system, etc., I never get sick. The only times I get sick are as a side effect of some treatment or drug. Other than wearing out my shoulder, which was likely due to over 20 years of sports and isn't surprising (now).


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## Fredward (Jun 7, 2018)

The earlier shingles vaccine used a "live attenuated" (live but weakened) virus to stimulate a person's immunity to the varicella virus (chickenpox).  The newly released vaccine, Shingrix, doesn't have any live virus in it.  Some people would come down with a mild case of chickenpox (or potentially be infectious to susceptible individuals) after receiving the original vaccine- the new vaccine eliminates that risk.


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## Luanne (Jun 7, 2018)

I got the first of the two new shingles vaccine about a month ago.  My arm was sore for a few days, but that was it.  I didn't realize it was a two dose thing until the pharmacist who gave me the shot told me.  I can go in next month for the next one.  She also mentioned that several people had told her when they came in for the second one that they had been sore for a few days as well.  Sorry your side effects were worse.


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## clifffaith (Jun 7, 2018)

OK, wish I hadn't read this! I am a wuss about needles. But Cliff has been hounding me about getting a shingles shot for a few years and last time we were at the doctor's office ( we tend to go in together when she has us on 3-4 month follow ups) we made sure to get me a Rx for the shot. Have been to CVS at least three times with it in my purse and don't remember to get it done. And now you are telling me I have to go BACK to get a second shot?!?! Fainting away just thinking about it!

@mpumilia I thought aspirin was one of those drugs that lasted forever? I would have popped two if they were more than say 8 years past expiration date rather than suffer.


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## jackio (Jun 7, 2018)

The chicken pox vaccine is a "live" vaccine and can be shed in a baby's stool.  My granddaughter's other grandmother and her caregiver both got shingles a couple of weeks after she received the varicella vaccine.  I swear they caught the herpes zoster  from the the baby, who was 12 months old.
This is the reason they stopped using the oral polio vaccine, which was live, and now only give the injection.  Apparently there were some cases of grandparents getting polio after caring for diaper-wearing infants who received the vaccine.


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## JohnPaul (Jun 7, 2018)

From my experience with friends having shingles I'd say a few days of side effects is a small price to pay to avoid shingles.


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## Passepartout (Jun 7, 2018)

JohnPaul said:


> From my experience with friends having shingles I'd say a few days of side effects is a small price to pay to avoid shingles.


As I mentioned upthread, my wife has had shingles 4X - albeit much reduced severity due to the earlier vaccine, but I still guarantee she'd pay many multiples of the cost or side effects of the vaccine to avoid shingles again.


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## VacationForever (Jun 7, 2018)

Steve Fatula said:


> That would be my luck. Or, I'd get very ill taking the vaccine. As you know, I generally get any side effect of anything. No matter how unlikely! So, I tend to avoid all such things. I'm always the 1 in 6 or 1 in a million guy.
> 
> And before anyone thinks weak immune system, etc., I never get sick. The only times I get sick are as a side effect of some treatment or drug. Other than wearing out my shoulder, which was likely due to over 20 years of sports and isn't surprising (now).


When I was in elementary school, my mother would make me hold hands and touch kids with Chicken Pox  blisters hoping that I would catch it. It did not work. When I was expecting, a family member who lived with us had Chicken Pox and I was terrified of catching it.  Thank goodness it did not happen.  Several years later, another member of the household also had Chicken Pox and I remained uninfected.  Since older people can die from Chicken Pox complications, I am concerned but there is not much that I can do about it.


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## WinniWoman (Jun 7, 2018)

Fredward said:


> The earlier shingles vaccine used a "live attenuated" (live but weakened) virus to stimulate a person's immunity to the varicella virus (chickenpox).  The newly released vaccine, Shingrix, doesn't have any live virus in it.  Some people would come down with a mild case of chickenpox (or potentially be infectious to susceptible individuals) after receiving the original vaccine- the new vaccine eliminates that risk.




I believe it also lasts longer than the original.


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## WinniWoman (Jun 7, 2018)

JohnPaul said:


> From my experience with friends having shingles I'd say a few days of side effects is a small price to pay to avoid shingles.




Yes- people who have had shingles say they wouldn't wish it on their worst enemies!


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## Steve Fatula (Jun 7, 2018)

Passepartout said:


> As I mentioned upthread, my wife has had shingles 4X - albeit much reduced severity due to the earlier vaccine, but I still guarantee she'd pay many multiples of the cost or side effects of the vaccine to avoid shingles again.



Well, I understand why you say that, and it makes sense. I understand there are those who are against all vaccines, etc., and some of the comments likely have that in mind. I am not that person. I speak only for me. That being said, understand the opposite can also happen. I have 5 instances in my lifetime of getting worse illnesses than I was treated for. I don't mean a little pain or inconvenience. So, while you may rightly feel that way or your wife certainly does, I do not.

I got a horrific lifelong, expensive, tortuous disease from a medicine that had literally 1 in 100,000,000 chance. Took 3 years of expense and torture to diagnose, hundreds of tests, lumbar punctures, probes, genetic testing, etc. etc. Less than 400 people in all of N America have it, and 40% of those that do *kill themselves *due to the pain and deformity*.* It's not good. That's the worst of my 5 reactions, the other 4 are bad also, just not that bad. So, when someone now tells me it has virtually no chance to get this or that, I ignore it. Sorry, but that's my experience. Clearly, I do not react well to medicines and treatments. And I will never do that again. I don't disagree with you or any of the others for them, of course not. But not everyone has the same experiences. Oh, and by the way, I had 0 chance of contracting the illness at the time as "no one" had reported any connection. So, just because the potential side effects are minor in nature does not mean it can't happen. It is now known it's a super rare side effect. 

I now avoid any medicine for any reason unless 1000% necessary. I hope you can understand some of us have their reasons....


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## Sapper (Jun 7, 2018)

Steve, sorry to hear of your bad history with meds. Everyone is different, and sometimes, as you have described, the side effects can be a disaster. 

My uncle caught a bad case of shingles. After seeing what he has had to deal with, my Mom went and did the new shot. She said her arm hurt for a few days, and tired the day after the shot, otherwise she's ok. Shot #2 is next month. 

Supposedly the new shot also has a higher efficacy rate than the old shot.


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## Steve Fatula (Jun 7, 2018)

Sapper said:


> Steve, sorry to hear of your bad history with meds. Everyone is different, and sometimes, as you have described, the side effects can be a disaster.
> 
> My uncle caught a bad case of shingles. After seeing what he has had to deal with, my Mom went and did the new shot. She said her arm hurt for a few days, and tired the day after the shot, otherwise she's ok. Shot #2 is next month.
> 
> Supposedly the new shot also has a higher efficacy rate than the old shot.



Believe me, if that's all I had to deal with, it wouldn't even be a factor! But at this point, every side effect I seem to get is far worse than the underlying illness I was treated for. I just for whatever reason react very badly to almost any medicine, or even some non medicinal treatments. My only point to posting was to just say some people who seem to others to be against a vaccine or medicine of some sort actually have a good reason! There may be others like me out there, though I seriously doubt we are a majority. I don't care about minor symptoms like pain, dizziness, nausea, etc.


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## JohnPaul (Jun 7, 2018)

Tried to get my first shot of the new shingles vaccine today (did the old one many years ago).  Kaiser won't have it until August.  They say there is a shortage around the country.


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## WinniWoman (Jun 7, 2018)

JohnPaul said:


> Tried to get my first shot of the new shingles vaccine today (did the old one many years ago).  Kaiser won't have it until August.  They say there is a shortage around the country.



Yes. I had a physical on Monday and my doc said the shot was back ordered. But then yesterday the office nurse called me and said they got it in so I went upstairs (from where I work) to get it.


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## bogey21 (Jun 7, 2018)

I had the first of the two shot Shingrix protocol a little over 2 months ago.  When I went to CVS for the second shot they told me it was back ordered but not to sweat it as the window to get the second shot is between 2  and 6 months after the first.  I am OK with this as I verified it on the manufacturer's web site. I had a pretty sore shoulder for almost a week after getting my first shot but figure it is better than coming down with shingles.

George.


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## Sapper (Jun 7, 2018)

Steve Fatula said:


> Believe me, if that's all I had to deal with, it wouldn't even be a factor! But at this point, every side effect I seem to get is far worse than the underlying illness I was treated for. I just for whatever reason react very badly to almost any medicine, or even some non medicinal treatments. My only point to posting was to just say some people who seem to others to be against a vaccine or medicine of some sort actually have a good reason! There may be others like me out there, though I seriously doubt we are a majority. I don't care about minor symptoms like pain, dizziness, nausea, etc.



I was not belittling what you wrote, I was agreeing. There can be some bad side effects. A friend had a bad side effect to a med back in the late 1980's, and it destroyed his pancreas. He was a captain with Eastern, lost his medical, lost his job, never flew again, on insulin for the rest of his life. I believe the insulin dependent diabetes, caused by the loss of his pancreas, was a factor in him having a stroke in his 60's. 

Luckily, the majority of folk do not have these reactions. It really sucks for those who do though.


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## Passepartout (Jun 7, 2018)

Steve Fatula said:


> Well, I understand why you say that, and it makes sense. *I understand there are those who are against all vaccines, etc.*, and some of the comments likely have that in mind. I am not that person. I speak only for me. That being said, understand the opposite can also happen. I have 5 instances in my lifetime of getting worse illnesses than I was treated for. I don't mean a little pain or inconvenience. So, while you may rightly feel that way or your wife certainly does, I do not.
> 
> I hope you can understand some of us have their reasons....


I understand your feelings, and would be overly cautious as well (I didn't get the new vaccine either). In this case I'm totally behind you. Primarily because shingles is not contagious. Nobody 'catches' shingles from someone else. The Zoster virus is already in us, and we don't know what triggers an outbreak in the form of shingles. Might be stress, but it isn't contact with another person. Now, (soapbox mode ON My beef with the 'anti-vaxers' is that many of the vaccines they keep themselves and their children from getting ARE for potentially contagious diseases. They endanger the general public, the young and the elderly by not being vaccinated. (soapbox: OFF)

Jim


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## Steve Fatula (Jun 7, 2018)

Sapper said:


> I was not belittling what you wrote, I was agreeing. There can be some bad side effects. A friend had a bad side effect to a med back in the late 1980's, and it destroyed his pancreas. He was a captain with Eastern, lost his medical, lost his job, never flew again, on insulin for the rest of his life. I believe the insulin dependent diabetes, caused by the loss of his pancreas, was a factor in him having a stroke in his 60's.
> 
> Luckily, the majority of folk do not have these reactions. It really sucks for those who do though.



Believe it or not, I did not think you were belittling, I knew you were agreeing. I was just making the point that minor symptoms like pain (9 or 10 out of 10), etc would never stop me from getting it. That's awful what your friend got put through! But yes, it does suck! At some point, you have to cut your losses and protect yourself as I do now. Now, people in the world if I make a comment might belittle me and have, however, they have no clue what can happen. It is not a reason to avoid it though for them, it just is for me.


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## Steve Fatula (Jun 7, 2018)

Passepartout said:


> I understand your feelings, and would be overly cautious as well (I didn't get the new vaccine either). In this case I'm totally behind you. Primarily because shingles is not contagious. Nobody 'catches' shingles from someone else. The Zoster virus is already in us, and we don't know what triggers an outbreak in the form of shingles. Might be stress, but it isn't contact with another person. Now, (soapbox mode ON My beef with the 'anti-vaxers' is that many of the vaccines they keep themselves and their children from getting ARE for potentially contagious diseases. They endanger the general public, the young and the elderly by not being vaccinated. (soapbox: OFF)
> 
> Jim



I suspected you had this in mind which is why I wanted to clarify that that is not me! It may be 99% of people who might be against a vaccine, but not 100%. I actually agree with the logic you are expressing here. Just not for me!


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## VacationForever (Jun 7, 2018)

Passepartout said:


> I understand your feelings, and would be overly cautious as well (I didn't get the new vaccine either). In this case I'm totally behind you. Primarily because shingles is not contagious. Nobody 'catches' shingles from someone else. The Zoster virus is already in us, and we don't know what triggers an outbreak in the form of shingles. Might be stress, but it isn't contact with another person. Now, (soapbox mode ON My beef with the 'anti-vaxers' is that many of the vaccines they keep themselves and their children from getting ARE for potentially contagious diseases. They endanger the general public, the young and the elderly by not being vaccinated. (soapbox: OFF)
> 
> Jim


NOT TRUE about Shingles not being contagious.  For someone like me who does not have the Zoster virus, i.e. never had Chicken Pox and and also have not responded to the Chicken Pox vaccine, Shingles is as contagious as Chicken Pox and can cause me to get Chicken Pox.


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## Steve Fatula (Jun 7, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> NOT TRUE about Shingles not being contagious.  For someone like me who does not have the Zoster virus, i.e. never had Chicken Pox and and also have not responded to the Chicken Pox vaccine, Shingles is as contagious as Chicken Pox and can cause me to get Chicken Pox.



Yes, avoid kids with Chicken Pox like the plague! Fortunately for me, I did have it as a kid. I still remember it even. Or do I recall this correctly, can you get shingles from a kid with Chicken Pox? Maybe not, maybe you can only get Chicken Pox (the first time). You can spread Shingles as well in the blister phase.

OK, answered my own question. I see here:

https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/about/transmission.html

It can spread via blisters. And it appears you could get chicken pox from shingles or chicken pox person.


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## VacationForever (Jun 7, 2018)

Steve Fatula said:


> Yes, avoid kids with Chicken Pox like the plague! Fortunately for me, I did have it as a kid. I still remember it even. Or do I recall this correctly, can you get shingles from a kid with Chicken Pox? Maybe not, maybe you can only get Chicken Pox (the first time). You can spread Shingles as well in the blister phase.
> 
> OK, answered my own question. I see here:
> 
> ...


You only catch chicken pox once in your life.  But thereafter you can get shingles many times.  I just need to stay away from everyone!


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## Steve Fatula (Jun 7, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> You only catch chicken pox once in your life.  But thereafter you can get shingles many times.  I just need to stay away from everyone!



You sound as bad as me. Whatever I catch may not be bad, but, the treatment will make me 10 times worse!


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## VacationForever (Jun 7, 2018)

Steve Fatula said:


> You sound as bad as me. Whatever I catch may not be bad, but, the treatment will make me 10 times worse!


Ah, I won't compete with you, Steve. You are worse than me!


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## Steve Fatula (Jun 7, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> Ah, I won't compete with you, Steve. You are worse than me!



Nothing like being #1! Unless, it's for something bad.


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## Talent312 (Jun 8, 2018)

I got chicken pox at age 42. Said to my doc: "You've got to be kidding."
I had just started dating (post-divorce) a woman who is now my wife.
She nursed me thru it. I figured that if she'd do that...
.


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## WinniWoman (Jun 8, 2018)

I am happy to report that the body aches are finally subsiding as of this morning and I am feeling much better. Not 100 % but good enough.

I think I am going to change my Sept appt. for the second shot to a Friday instead of a Monday because I barely got through work yesterday.

BTW- my husband does not know, nor does he have any record of, if he had chicken pox when he was a child. But the doctor's office did give him the old shingles shot 2 years ago anyway.


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## pedro47 (Jun 8, 2018)

Wow! The new shingles vaccine is very hard to find in the Tidewater VA area, Costco have been without it for the passed two weeks.


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## lvkcwalker (Jun 8, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> You only catch chicken pox once in your life.  But thereafter you can get shingles many times.  I just need to stay away from everyone!



Although it is very rare, I did in fact contract chicken pox TWICE before the age of 7. The first time not much of a big deal, the second time was severe. But both cases were confirmed by my doctor.


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## Luanne (Jun 8, 2018)

I got the first shot with no problem (meaning they had it at the pharmacy).  Dh went in a couple of days later and they were out, with no idea when they would get more.


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## MULTIZ321 (Jun 8, 2018)

pedro47 said:


> Wow! The new shingles vaccine is very hard to find in the Tidewater VA area, Costco have been without it for the passed two weeks.


Got the Shingles vaccine shot today at our local Publix Pharmacy. Just had to fill out a form and they bill Medicare. So no out of pocket expenditure.
Also there was no line - so the process went  very smoothly.  They'll notify me when to get the follow up shot.


Richard


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## Passepartout (Jun 8, 2018)

MULTIZ321 said:


> Got the Shingles vaccine shot today at our local Publix Pharmacy. Just had to fill out a form and they bill Medicare. So no out of pocket expenditure.


Interesting. Your supplement must be better than mine. My Rx checked and said my out of pocket would be $155 per dose. I may check another pharmacy.


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## Luanne (Jun 8, 2018)

Passepartout said:


> Interesting. Your supplement must be better than mine. My Rx checked and said my out of pocket would be $155 per dose. I may check another pharmacy.


My out of pocket was $40 for one shot.  I was told that most likely I would have to pay for the second shot as well.  I did NOT go to the pharmacy that we have for prescription coverage.  If I had, maybe there would have been no out of pocket.

And, I didn't have to fill out a form as they already had my Medicare and Supplement information.  I use this particular pharmacy for immunizations instead of CVS as I like it better for that.  Nice privacy room, don't have to wait forever. For things like flu shots and even the pneumonia shots they were covered 100% by Medicare (or the supplement?)  For prescriptions I use CVS.


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## WinniWoman (Jun 9, 2018)

I am not on Medicare but our employer insurance covers it 100% because it is preventative.


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## GT75 (Jun 9, 2018)

Panina said:


> What does this new shot offer versus the other?



The new shot is ~97% effective with the old being around 50%.    I must say that I never have had a reactive to a shot before until this new Shingrix shot.   It wasn't bad just arm sore for many days and "kind of sluggish" on the second day.


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## Patri (Jun 9, 2018)

klpca said:


> I can't get the vaccine (on immunosupressants) so I just have to hope I don't get shingles.



Me too. And I guess I am ignorant on the subject. I thought people only had to get the vaccine once in a lifetime. So many pharmacies push it. I wonder if they ask what meds you are taking, and would realize I should not get it. My PCP chart recommends it, but I asked my rheumatologist and he said NO. (Not sure if PCP has all my records, but sure glad I asked). I have heard horror stories about shingles, so hope I never get them. I did have chicken pox as a child.


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## shorts (Jun 9, 2018)

Patri said:


> Me too. And I guess I am ignorant on the subject. I thought people only had to get the vaccine once in a lifetime. So many pharmacies push it. I wonder if they ask what meds you are taking, and would realize I should not get it. My PCP chart recommends it, but I asked my rheumatologist and he said NO. (Not sure if PCP has all my records, but sure glad I asked). I have heard horror stories about shingles, so hope I never get them. I did have chicken pox as a child.



Now that they have a new vaccine that is no longer a “live” virus, you may be able to get it. I have the same problem and was told that it was any vaccine that contained a “live virus” that I had to avoid taking or exposure to. You should check with your doctor about the new one.


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## bogey21 (Jun 9, 2018)

The cost with my Medicare Prescription plan was $47 for shot #1.  I assume it will be the same for shot #2 when it becomes available.

George


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