The NHS offers a vaccine that reduces your risk of developing shingles.
What is Shingles?
Shingles can be very painful and tends to affect people more commonly as they get older. This can be because your immune system is weakened by increasing age, by stress or by a range of medical conditions and treatments. For some, the pain caused by shingles can last for many years. Shingles can really affect your life, stopping you from doing all the things you usually enjoy.
Who will get the Shingles Vaccine?
The vaccine programme is being offered to the following:
- healthy people 70 to 79 years of age who have not yet been vaccinated
- people from 18 years of age with a severely weakened immune system
- healthy people aged 60 to 70 years will become eligible for the vaccine when they turn 65 or 70 years of age
You will remain eligible for the shingles vaccine until your 80th birthday (unless you have a weakened immune system – people with a severely weakened immune system remain eligible for vaccine), but the sooner you have the vaccine the earlier you will be protected.
You are also eligible for the Shingrix vaccine if you are aged 18 years or over and are severely immunosuppressed.
Severely immunosuppressed people should have 2 doses of Shingrix vaccine at least 8 weeks apart. If you were offered Zostavax before you should still have your 2 doses of Shingrix. If you have already had 2 doses, you do not need any more.
Visit the NHS website to find out more on Shingles and the Shingles vaccine
