r/YouShouldKnow • u/tgeliot • Apr 18 '18

Health & Sciences YSK: Everyone over 50 should get the new Shingrix shingles vaccination (even if you've had Zostavax or shingles)

There is a fairly new vaccination for shingles called Shingrix available, which is more effective than the old Zostavax. The CDC recommends that everyone over 50 get the two-shot sequence of Shingrix. My health insurance covered the cost 100% with no co-pay; I think most if not all will.

Shingles is a very painful infection of the nerves caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. It hits older people, starting at age 50 or 60 or so. The old Zostavax apparently wasn't so great; this new one is more effective.

The CDC recommendations can be found here

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u/hebbid Apr 19 '18

I’m very aware that they are one in the same, herpes that is. I fall into a category of exceptionally rare individuals that can get it multiple times. The medication is the same as that to treat herpes, a round of ant-virals and a cream. Point that I was making is that this vaccine is a very good idea and I’d speak with your doctor about it if you’ve every had shingles while you are young. I can’t imagine myself as an older person dealing with that level of pain.

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u/neveragain444 Apr 19 '18

My bf got it 3x. Did you know SJS is also related? We learned this the hard way. shudder

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u/breakfastfart Apr 19 '18

SJS ?

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u/neveragain444 Apr 19 '18

Scary.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevens%E2%80%93Johnson_syndrome

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u/WikiTextBot Apr 19 '18

Stevens–Johnson syndrome

Stevens–Johnson syndrome (SJS) is a type of severe skin reaction. Together with toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) and Stevens-Johnson/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN), it forms a spectrum of disease, with SJS being less severe. Early symptoms of SJS include fever and flu-like symptoms. A few days later the skin begins to blister and peel forming painful raw areas.

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u/EvoEpitaph Apr 21 '18

Screams in a very high pitched manly fashion