Why am I being invited for a shingles vaccine?

London-based GP Dr Jane Leonard welcomes the news that vaccines are now being offered to those turning 65.

“I think vaccines in general can only be a good thing, and when we look at trends in epidemiology, we might notice that infections such as shingles are occurring more frequently – and we know the effects can be dramatic,” she told Saga Exceptional.

“As you get older, the risk of shingles increases, and the symptoms can be much worse. Because your physical resilience might not be the same as a younger person, your recovery might also be longer. The pain and rash can affect your quality of life, and once the initial symptoms subside, your levels of fatigue can be worse.”

If you’ve already had chickenpox or shingles, it’s still important to come forward for the vaccine. One of the myths with shingles is that you can only get it once, but that’s not true. It happens in people who have previously been infected with chickenpox at any point in their lives – which is nearly everyone. Chickenpox can sometimes be very mild, or you can get it when very young, so you might not even know if you’ve had it in the past. The virus lies dormant in your body and can develop into shingles without warning.

“It can affect you at any time, and if you’ve been under stress or have recently been unwell with something else, that can trigger shingles – and yes, you can get it more than once,” says Dr Leonard.

Any side effects from the vaccine would be mild – and they’ll pass quickly. “Like any vaccine, you might have a fever or pain around the injection site. You might feel a little bit under the weather and tired, but that’s temporary, so rest and take paracetamol if you do get affected,” says Dr Leonard.

Shingles vaccination was first introduced to the UK in 2013 and, in the five years that followed, there were 45,000 fewer GP consultations and 1,840 fewer hospitalisations for shingles and post-herpetic neuralgia (the most common complication from infection, which causes burning pain in the skin once the rash has gone).

This year, a new vaccine is being given in England, called Shingrix, which has performed well in clinical trials. It is given in two doses, usually six to 12 months apart (unlike the previous vaccine, Zostavax, which was a one-dose vaccine). If you’re in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, you might be offered either Zostavax or Shingrix.

Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency, encourages anyone who’s offered the vaccine to take it. “Shingles is an extremely painful condition, and complications can be long-lasting. Older people and those with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable, so I’d encourage all those newly eligible from today to come forward,” she says.