I'd say, ask your doctor.

My doctor insisted I get the shingels vaccine. I had the smallpox vaccination as a child; I have had shinges, twice, and I took the shot.

No bad effects after three years.

Caroline - how far apart were your bouts with shingles? and can I ask how old you were? I had shingles in 2010 and my dermatologist told me i would not get shingles again and did not need the vaccine. I am 51 now & had shingles when I was 48.

Thanks -
(Karen) hostapasta

The doctors here claim you can get the shingles more than once, but your health determines if you can have the shot. DH's cancer Dr. told him no because of the chemo he is taking and told me no due to I am the primary care taker---SO-- I guess it depends on your Dr.

HostaPasta, I am 57 now. Jeepers; it is so hard to make my mouth say "57"! LOL

I had the shingles at about 41 and 43. I got the shot three years ago. I'm diabetic with high blood pressure and sleep apnea, if that makes a difference.

I'm still on the fence about the shot, even though my dr. recommends it.

Shingles is certainly a problem you don't want. BUT not that many people get it. The shot, for my age group is only reported to be about 50% effective. The medical community doesn't know how effective it will be longterm (which makes me question if longterm studies for safety have even been completed, either?). The number of reactions--while most are mild--is VERY high for the shot. If you get it, you have to stay away from children for the space of time that you're 'contagious'. and, of course, with all that being said, this is a pretty expensive shot for all those issues.

And I really cannot understand how, if the virus is already in your system, adding more (even if it is disabled) is going to help--seems to me, that could possibly even spark an attack of Shingles in some cases.

I've read up a lot on this vaccine--and suggest that you do the same before making your decision. I am NOT suggesting that you not have it--not at all. Just that if you have questions, make sure you get the answers YOU need before deciding. You certainly have a specific situation that you want to look into thoroughly ahead of time.

Personally, I'm holding off until it's determined that the shot is safer and more effective than seems to be currently thought.

My doctor wouldn't tell me to get it, and he wouldn't tell me not to get it--because of possible side effects (I have problems with a lot of meds). My decision was to not get it. Another major factor in my decision was that I never had chickenpox as a child (even after repeated exposure), and my pediatrician felt I was immune to the virus. I sure hope he was right.

If you get it, you have to stay away from children for the space of time that you're 'contagious'.

Azzalea, I'd never heard that one, and I researched the shot heavily when writing a newspaper article on it. So I just did a little more reading and found this from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia:

I am a 66-year-old grandmother of a 7-month-old granddaughter. I want to get the shingles vaccine, but I do not want to give my granddaughter chickenpox. How long do I need to stay away from her after getting the vaccine?

You would not need to stay away from your granddaughter after getting the shingles vaccine. A small number of people get a chickenpox-like rash after getting the vaccine; if this would happen, you need only keep your granddaughter from coming into contact with the blisters.

If you have had the chicken pox, not matter at what age, the virus lives on inside you. The shingles shot will help to prevent an outbreak or lessen the horrid symptoms. It is given to people over 60 years of age.

If you have already had the shingles, you should still get the shot.

Only those with a compromised/reduced immune system should not receive the shot.

Note also that Medicare will not cover the cost, but your supplemental insurance should cover it.

My doctor suggested it for me so I went to CVS and got it...I don't know if my immune system is still compromised or not but decided it would be good for me to have it..

I had a severe case of chickenpox as a child. I had a case of shingles about five years ago -- caught early and treated with a herpes drug that is often effective if taken within 72 hours. While I had the shingles, I stayed away from small children. The shingles was in the upper right quadrant of my head; fortunately it did not spread to involve my right eye.

DH and I both had the shingles vaccine about a year after I'd had my mild case. Neither of us had any reaction to the shot. Although our shots were covered 100%, I'd pay $250 to reduce my chances of having a severe case of shingles by any meaningful percentage.

A couple of years ago the shingles vaccine was approved for people 50 and older.

Medicare Part D (drug coverage) is the insurance that covers it. How much is paid depends on the policy. My shot cost me $45.

I got the shot last year and sure glad I did. My insurance paid for it all. I did a search too on shingles and it said when you are in the contagious stage to not have contact with children, anyone pregnant, and to not even kiss your spouse, etc. on the mouth as they could be infected through the saliva. Hope to never get them!

Grandma_Bonnie, are you sure you had a chicken pox vaccine? The reason I ask is that my kids are 21 and 33 and they didn't have a chicken pox vaccine when they were young. I was so hoping that it would be available before they caught chicken pox, but it wasn't. My daughter (oldest) was about 10 when she had chicken pox, so I'm thinking the vaccine wasn't available until sometime after 1989.

As far as getting the shingles vaccine, I did go ahead and do it. A friend, in her upper 40's, had shingles last year and said it was the most painful thing she's ever had. And it just seemed to last forever. I know that the vaccine doesn't prevent it in all cases, but when it doesn't prevent shingles, it's said to lessen the severity so I'm hoping it was a wise move. I had the vaccine at 57 and my doctor said that though they recommend it for anyone over 60, they will generally give it to people over 50 if they request it.

I still have the small pox it left on my arm - we lived in the middle east and we were always getting shots so I can't tell you when I got it... My DH has on on the back of his shoulder from the vaccine and he is 72.

Sounds like you probably got the smallpox vaccine, Bonnie, not the chicken pox shot. Two separate diseases.