Are you nearing (or over) 50? If so, chances are you’ve heard about the shingles vaccine. You might be trying to decide if it’s worth getting—and wondering how long protection from the shot lasts. Understanding more about the vaccine’s effectiveness, and its benefits, can help you make an informed decision about your health, in partnership with your health care provider.
What is shingles?
Shingles (herpes zoster) is a painful, blistery rash that develops when the varicella-zoster virus—the same virus that causes chickenpox—reactivates in your body. If you’ve had chickenpox, the virus stays dormant in your nerve tissue and can reactivate later in life, causing a shingles episode. The infamous shingles rash often resembles a single “stripe” of blisters that often wraps around the left or right side of the torso. Shingles can affect other parts of the body including the head and face.