Shingles

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Shingles Overview

What is shingles?

Shingles is a painful skin rash caused by varicella zoster virus. Symptoms include pain in the rash area, fever, and headache. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus stays dormant (inactive) in the body. The virus can reactivate many years later and cause shingles. Read more about shingles and how it affects people on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

A shingles rash may include blisters that develop on one side of the face or body. They can last from two to four weeks. Very rarely, a shingles infection can lead to more serious symptoms such as pneumonia, hearing problems, blindness, swelling of the brain (encephalitis), or death from complications.

What are the symptoms of shingles?

Shingles has the following symptoms:

  • Pain, itching, or tingling in the area where a rash will develop
  • Painful rash, usually on one side of the body, typically on the face or torso
  • Fever
  • Headache

Who is at risk for shingles?

If you had chickenpox, you are at risk for shingles. More than 99% of Americans born before 1980 had chickenpox. Before shingles vaccines became available at least 1 million people go shingles in the United States each year. One in three people in the United States develop shingles at least once in their life (yes, you can get shingles more than once).

As you get older, your risk of developing shingles and having serious complications increases. Before the shingles vaccine was available, about half (500,000) of shingles cases occurred in people age 60 or older. It is more common in people who have a weakened immune system because of a disease, such as cancer or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), or from drugs, like steroids or chemotherapy. Anyone can get shingles though, including children.

Limit the occurrence of shingles

The only way to prevent shingles is to get vaccinated. There is one vaccine, Shingrix, which is given as a 2-dose series. Shingrix is very effective in preventing shingles and improves your chances of not experiencing complications from shingles such as postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). PHN is severe pain in the area where the shingles rash occurred.

Shingles Vaccine

When do people get shingles vaccine?

The Shingles vaccine, called Shingrix is recommended for everyone 50 years and older, as well as immunocompromised individuals 19 years and older. You should get Shingrix even if you’ve already had shingles. Shingrix can help prevent future occurrences of the disease. If you received Zostavax (the older shingles vaccine) before November 18, 2020, you should also get Shingrix.

You should not get shingles vaccine if you:

  • Are currently pregnant.
  • Currently have shingles.
  • Have had a severe allergic reaction to any component of the vaccine.

What are the side effects of shingles vaccine?

The shingles vaccine causes a strong immune response in your body, it is common to experience short-term side effects. The most common side effects of shingles vaccine include:

  • Sore arm with mild to moderate pain.
  • Redness and swelling where you got the vaccine.
  • Feeling tired.
  • Headache.
  • Fever and chills.

This vaccine is continually monitored for safety. The benefits and side effects of this vaccine outweigh the risk of getting shingles.

Why is shingles vaccine important?

Getting shingles vaccine is highly effective at preventing the disease. This vaccine prevents shingles in 97 percent of people with healthy immune systems aged 50 to -69 years old and 91 percent of people age 70 or older. In adults with weakened immune systems, Shingrix was between 68 and 91 percent effective in preventing shingles, depending on their condition that is affecting their immune system.

Long-term nerve pain is the most common complication of shingles. About 10 to 18 percent of people who have shingles develop nerve pain after the rash goes away. This nerve pain is called postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). As people get older, they are more likely to develop PHN, and it is more likely to be severe and long lasting. Shingrix vaccine reduces the risk of PHN by 89 percent.

Vaccine Information Statement and Resources

The Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) is given to parents/guardians at the time of vaccination. It explains the benefits and risks of the specific vaccination.

Read the current Shingles VIS from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Additional resources for the public

Additional resources for health care providers