Cam ~ You should still get the vaccine even if you are not certain you've had Chicken Pox. Per the CDC, approx 99.5% of all U.S. citizens over age 40 have had Chicken Pox at some point in their life. Even if you haven't, the vaccine will not hurt you. Also, if you've already had Shingles, you should still get the vaccine because it can help prevent future outbreaks. Rose ~ I would definitely speak with your doctor first. Per Merck, the manufacturer, "ZOSTAVAX is a LIVE, attenuated varicella-zoster vaccine and administration may result in disseminated disease in individuals who are immunosuppressed or immunodeficient. Do not administer ZOSTAVAX to immunosuppressed or immunodeficient individuals including those with a history of primary or acquired immunodeficiency states, leukemia, lymphoma or other malignant neoplasms affecting the bone marrow or lymphatic system, AIDS or other clinical manifestations of infection with human immunodeficiency viruses, and those on immunosuppressive therapy." In other words, it could be very dangerous to give to someone in one of those groups. Here's a link to their info: MERCK ZOSTAVAX INFO Hope this is helpful. Blessings, ~Addy~ Here is a link that might be useful: Q&A About Shingles and Vaccine

Hmmm.....now I'm less certain about why the doctors said no to Marie. I just read this from the Cleveland Clinic: Diabetes, hypertension, chronic renal failure, coronary artery disease, chronic lung disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and other medical conditions are not considered contraindications to the vaccine. And this from the Immunization Action Coalition: Can a person who has received the vaccine infect others with this virus? No. It is safe to be around infants and young children, pregnant women, or people with weakened immune systems after you get the shingles vaccine. Transmission of the chickenpox virus from a person who has received the shingles vaccine has never been documented. Some people who get the shingles vaccine will develop a chickenpox-like rash near the place where they were vaccinated. As a precaution, this rash should be covered until it disappears. So I'm guessing the doctors know something about the specific circumstances that we don't.

The days that you two were having this conversation, I was coming down with shingles, too! The head pain started on Sunday the 18th, on Tuesday the 20th, I went to the doc. She thought it was a migraine and a sinus infection, and sent me home with those meds. On Thursday, I broke out in the blisters all over my eyelid, eyebrow, and forehead. In my hair at the temple, too. And in my eye. They hospitalized me for five days when I got so sick to my stomach that I could not keep the antiviral med down. They were really wrried about my eyesight. But after about a month, I was seeing the same as before the shingles. I have a droopy eyelid, though. Marti, did you get all of your hearing back? The thing is,,,,, neither Marti nor I are over 60, so we never were offered the vaccine yet!

To be clear, my issue is not about finding a place to get the shingles shot, nor is it about getting and affording either flu or pneumonia shots. Hubs can get flu and pneumonia free through Medicare. He has the 121 page Medicare coverage booklet, along with supplemental insurance that he purchased from the company his son work for. I have suggested he talk to an insurance broker as he is now shopping around for better supplemental coverage. But honestly, i think better coverage will probably come with a higher price tag, so there ya go. My Dad has excellent supplemental coverage and is paying around 1K per month for it . . . no way around it, on the commercial market, when you are old, you are expensive to insure . . . As for the cost of the shingles shot, the health department quoted is $160 per shot, with a $30 discount per shot due to hubs prescription discount card. That's still $260 total. Thanks for the heads up about the insurance billing issues Sea Sea! Hard to say how this is going to play out. As I mentioned, my doctor was MIA all through September due to changing the location of her practice. So I don't know if she offers the shingles shot, but I doubt it. That's one of the reasons I have been searching for a new doctor, another was wanting one closer to home. I thought I had found one, but now that one up and quit. That PA issue worries me, as that was what was offered at the new practice I chose. The office seemed very well organized, but the actual doctor is only there two days a week, the rest of the time you see a PA or nurse practitioner. But my other doctor wasn't easy to get in to see either, so at this point it's kind of a toss up . . . I live in a poor rural area, few good local options. All our local hospitals are hanging by a thread as it is . . . The information on how my insurance will pay for the shingles shot comes directly from my insurance company. They sent me an e-mail response to my inquiry. They wrote that they would cover 100% but that if I went to a pharmacy I would have to pay and submit a reimbursement form. They didn't say that the pharmacy could bill them, so I don't know. I don't want to wait any longer. The repeal of the Affordable Health Care Act is actively ongoing, who knows how long these regulations that enforce insurance companies paying for preventative vaccinations will stand. They are tenuous at best. Seems like our postal service is also tenuous as far as the reimbursement paperwork too. Russian roulette seems like the new game in town for health care.