When Should You Schedule Your Vaccines
Older adults should get their flu shots by the end of October or ideally even sooner, particularly in light of the expected increase in demand for the 202021 winter season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In fact, given the concerns surrounding the pandemic, older adults should make sure they are up to date on all their vaccinations and any booster shots by the end of October, before winter sets in, Privor-Dumm says.
Still, its important to stagger your vaccinations, as getting them all done at one time could lead to complications. Talk to your doctor about setting up a vaccination schedule that works for you.
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Administration With Other Vaccines
CDC general recommendations advise that recombinant and adjuvanted vaccines, such as Shingrix, can be administered concomitantly, at different anatomic sites, with other adult vaccines. Concomitant administration of Shingrix with Fluarix Quadrivalent has been studied, and there was no evidence for interference in the immune response to either vaccine or safety concerns. Evaluation of co-administration of Shingrix with 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine and Tetanus Toxoid, Reduced Diphtheria Toxoid and Acellular Pertussis Vaccine, Adsorbed is ongoing. The safety and efficacy of administration of two adjuvanted vaccines , either concomitantly or at other intervals, have not been evaluated.
Shingrix and pneumococcal vaccine may be administered at the same visit if the person is eligible for both. When both pneumococcal conjugate vaccine PCV13 and PPSV23 are recommended for an adult, PCV13 should always be administered first and may be administered concomitantly with Shingrix.
Will There Be Any Side Effects From The Shingles Vaccination
There are 2 shingles vaccines: Zostavax and Shingrix .
With both vaccines it’s quite common to get redness and discomfort at the vaccination site, headaches and fatigue, but these side effects should not last more than a few days. See a GP if you have side effects that last longer than a few days, or if you develop a rash after having the shingles vaccination.
Read more about the shingles vaccine side effects.
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Should A 90 Year Old Get The Shingles Vaccine
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all people 60 years of age or older be vaccinated with one dose of Zostavax to prevent shingles. The older a person is, the more severe the effects of shingles can be, so it is worthwhile for your 90-year-old mother to get the vaccine.
The Problem With Medical Records Tracking Vaccine Schedules
Another obstacle is the fact that it can be difficult for family physicians to know exactly what vaccinations a patient has received. Unlike pediatric patients, who typically have accessible records of their vaccination schedule, it can be trickier for adults.
For adults, it becomes quite challenging, especially when they switch providers, because often times you have to track down records to find out if theyve been vaccinated, said Jain.
She said it can be complicated to try and decipher which vaccines patients have received and which ones they should get without clear records.
For adults over the age of 65, you want to find out if theyve gotten the two pneumonia vaccinations that are recommended, so it becomes a challenge to find out if theyve gotten both, or just one, she said.
Same thing goes now for the shingles vaccination. Youre kind of tracking down records, and when you dont have them, you have to make a clinical judgment.
Despite these challenges, Jain says the fact that Shingrix is a newly minted vaccination may make things a bit more straightforward.
The nice thing about Shingrix is that its so new, most patients have not gotten it, she said. Even if theyve had Zostavax, its recommended that they get Shingrix in addition to it, so thats a little bit less of a challenge with a new vaccination.
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Who Should Get The Shingles Vaccine
In Aotearoa New Zealand, the shingles vaccine is called Zostavax. One dose of Zostavax is recommended, and available free for people aged 65-80. People aged 50-64 years who are at increased risk of shingles may also want to think about having the vaccination. Ask your doctor or nurse if you are unsure. It is not free for this group.
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As with any vaccine, the effectiveness decreases over time. This may mean that protection is lost in older age when there is a higher risk of developing shingles and having more serious complications. When you are vaccinated you are about 70% protected. After a year you are about 50% protected. By 78 years after vaccination, you are around 32% protected. Your doctor can help you decide when to have the shingles vaccine.Booster dosesIf you have had the shingles vaccine in the past and are worried about how effective it is likely to be now, speak to your doctor. There is no information about whether another dose of the shingles vaccine provides any benefit. Although there are no recommendations, adults who have previously received the shingles vaccine can receive a second dose after 1 year. There are no safety concerns about receiving a second dose.
Who Can Have The Shingles Vaccination
Shingles vaccination is available to everyone aged 70 to 79.
When you’re eligible, you can have the shingles vaccination at any time of year.
The shingles vaccine is not available on the NHS to anyone aged 80 or over because it seems to be less effective in this age group.
Read more about who can have the shingles vaccine.
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Can You Get Multiple Vaccines At Once
The technical term for getting multiple vaccines together is vaccine coadministration. And the answer to whether this is a good idea depends largely on your age and health status, the vaccines youre considering, how urgent the need is to start building up protection against said threat or threats, and personal preferences, experts say.
As a general rule, there are very few vaccines that cant be coadministered, says L.J. Tan, MS, PhD, the chief policy and partnership officer at the Immunization Action Coalition in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Vaccines commonly administered together include DTaP and Tdap, which protect against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis , and MMR, which prevents measles, mumps, and rubella.
When vaccines are coadministered, they should go in different locations or anatomical sites, according to Dr. Tan. It can be in the same arm if they are spaced an inch apart, he says. This allows your doctor or pharmacist to identify which vaccine caused a reaction, should one occur.
Here, experts break down which vaccines can be given at the same time and which ones cant. Plus, find out why you still need to wear a mask indoors if youre vaccinated.
How Do You Catch Shingles
You do not “catch” shingles it comes on when there’s a reactivation of chickenpox virus that’s already in your body.
After you’ve recovered from chickenpox, the varicella-zoster virus lies dormant in your nerve cells and can reactivate at a later stage when your immune system is weakened.
Anyone who has had chickenpox can get shingles.
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Can A Person Who Is Living In The Same Household As Someone Who Is Immunosuppressed Or Pregnant Receive Shingles Vaccine
Yes, shingles vaccine can be given to adults in close contact with babies and children, pregnant women or people with weakened immune systems. There is an extremely small risk of a vaccine-related rash and the low possibility of wildtype varicella-zoster virus transmission. Discuss your concerns with your doctor.
Why Is Vaccination Against Shingles Recommended
While shingles can get better on its own, having the shingles vaccine can prevent you from getting shingles at all. If you do get shingles, vaccination can prevent you from getting the complications of shingles and prevent you from getting shingles again. The most common complication from the shingles infection is pain after the infection has gone and 1 in 5 people experience it. The pain can carry on for months to years after the infection, and is described as burning, sharp and jabbing, or deep and aching. This is called postherpetic neuralgia .
Other complications from shingles infection include glaucoma, vision loss, facial weakness and hearing loss.
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Is The Vaccine Safe
The vaccine can be given to people with a previous history of shingles infection. It should not be given to anyone who currently has shingles. As stated above, the vaccine should not be given to people who are clinically immunosuppressed because the vaccine strain could replicate too much and cause a serious infection. For more information see the MHRA’s Drug Safety Update .
In clinical trials of the vaccine, there have been no reports of someone who was vaccinated passing the virus on to anyone else. However, because the shingles vaccine is a live vaccine, it is thought that this may be possible in rare cases.
There is thought to be a very small risk that someone who has been vaccinated could pass on the virus to someone who is not immune to chickenpox. This is only thought to be a risk if the person who has been vaccinated develops a shingles type rash at the injection site or elsewhere on the body.
The shingles vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women as a matter of caution. However, studies have been carried out on pregnant women who have accidentally received chickenpox or shingles vaccines. These have not shown any link between the weakened virus in the vaccine and any specific problems in babies born to these women. See this Public Health England statement for more information.
Will Being Vaccinated Against Flu Pneumonia And Shingles Help Prevent Covid
The short answer is no. But reducing your risk for getting sick with the flu, pneumonia, or shingles which is what these vaccines do makes a lot of sense during the pandemic, Privor-Dumm says.
Lowering your risk for vaccine-preventable diseases will help you avoid doctors offices and hospitals, which will reduce any potential exposure to the coronavirus, Privor-Dumm adds.
Plus, Privor-Dumm says, Preventing serious disease can help keep you out of the hospital at a time when health resources may be needed to treat COVID-19 patients.
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More Information On Side Effects
Reactions listed under possible side effects or adverse events on vaccine product information sheets may not all be directly linked to the vaccine. See Vaccine side effects and adverse reactions for more information on why this is the case.
If you are concerned about any reactions that occur after vaccination, consult your doctor. In the UK you can report suspected vaccine side effects to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency through the Yellow Card Scheme . See more information on the Yellow Card scheme and monitoring of vaccine safety.
Where Can I Get Vaccinated
The best place to go for vaccinations is your family medical clinic. They have your medical records and can check to see if youve already had a particular vaccination. Either your doctor or a nurse can give the vaccination.If you dont have a family doctor, you can go to one of the after-hour medical clinics. Phone them first to make sure they can help you with the vaccination you need.You can find a clinic near you on the Healthpoint website. Put in your address and region, and under Select a service, click on GPs/Accident & Urgent Medical Care.Vaccines on the National Immunisation Schedule are free. Other vaccines are funded only for people at particular risk of disease. You can choose to pay for vaccines that you are not eligible to receive for free.
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Incidence Of Shingles & Pneumonia
Shingles is a reawakening of the herpes zoster virus that lays dormant in the basal nerve ganglia after childhood exposure to chickenpox. The risk of experiencing shingles is 0.5-1.0% for people under the age of 60, and as high as 1% above age 80.1 While individual risk is low, shingles still affects a large number of people. In less than 5% of all patients with shingles, a secondary complication called post-herpetic neuralgia arises, which is potentially debilitating pain that lingers after the rash has cleared. Preventing PHN is the primary goal of shingles vaccination.
Pneumonia is a common infection in older adults, and is particularly lethal in patients over the age of 80 who are likely to die, even with intensive treatment. The pneumonia immunization protects against Streptococcus pneumoniae. This bacteria has 90 known serotypes, but most live quietly in humans without causing disease. Some forms of this bacteria can cause sepsis or meningitis in certain cases , but most commonly cause bacterial pneumonia. Community acquired pneumonia is caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae 24-40% of the time, and causes close to 400 000 hospitalizations annually in the United States at least 5% of those hospitalizations result in death.2 One of the most concerning aspects of these infections is that they can come on very rapidly, which is partly why vaccination is recommended.
Uncommon Rare And Very Rare Adverse Events
Uncommon adverse events occur in 0.1% to less than 1% of vaccinees. Rare and very rare adverse events occur, respectively, in 0.01% to less than 0.1% and less than 0.01% of vaccinees.
Both HZ vaccines are safe with serious adverse events reported very rarely in immunocompetent individuals.
Recurrence or exacerbation of herpes zoster ophthalmicus following LZV vaccination has been reported very rarely, involving several cases world-wide following LZV immunization. Following a causality assessment of seven cases of HZO which were temporally associated with the administration of LZV, NACI concluded that there was insufficient evidence to recommend for or against the administration of LZV in individuals with a history of HZO. More evidence is required for further assessment of risk related to HZO recurrence in LZV recipients. At this time, there is insufficient evidence to assess the risk related to HZO recurrence following RZV recipients.
See Contraindications and Precautions if considering vaccinating a person with previous HZO.
For more information, refer to Adverse events following immunization in Part 2 and the product monograph in Health Canada’s Drug Product Database.
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If I’m Taking Antiviral Medication Such As For Cold Sores Can I Get The Shingles Vaccine
If you are being treated with any antiviral medication, such as acyclovir, valaciclovir or valganciclovir, it is best that the treatment is stopped for at least 24 hours before getting the shingles vaccine and for 14 days after vaccination. This allows the vaccine virus to replicate and induce an immune response.
Should You Get Your Covid
Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, everyone has been looking forward to post-coronavirus life. And most people agree that to get there, we need to follow the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and protect ourselves. From the implementation of COVID-19 vaccine mandates and the Food and Drug Administrations emergency use authorization of a smaller dose of Pfizers coronavirus vaccine for kids to an influx of public service announcements about scheduling your annual flu shot, vaccines are getting lots of airtime lately. It can be tempting to kill several birds with one stone , but whats the ideal COVID-19 vaccine and flu vaccine spacing per the CDC?
Whether youre fully vaccinated and looking at the prospect of a booster shot coinciding with your flu jab or youre getting the COVID-19 vaccine for the first time, heres what you need to know.
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How Does The Shingles Vaccine Work
The vaccine recommended for most people is a live vaccine called Zostavax. It contains a weakened chickenpox virus . It’s similar , but not identical, to the chickenpox vaccine.
People with a weakened immune system cannot have live vaccines. They will be offered a non-live vaccine called Shingrix. It activates the immune system but also contains an ingredient called an adjuvant, which helps to boost the response to the vaccine.
Very occasionally, people develop chickenpox following shingles vaccination . Talk to a GP if this happens to you.
Who Should Get Vaccinated
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that people who should receive the shingles vaccine include:
- Adults who are healthy, aged 50 and older
- People who have not had shingles
- Those who are unsure if they have had chickenpox. Studies show that over 99% of Americans over age 40 have had chickenpox, this includes those who cant remember having the disease.
- People who have had shingles . Studies have shown that some people can get shingles twice, or even three times and the risk of getting shingles again is about the same as the chances of getting them in the first place.
- Those who received Zostavax .
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Shingles Vaccine And Pneumonia Vaccine
Dr. Horovitz isnt a fan of combining a shingles shot with any other type of vaccine. Ten percent of people will be really sick from a shingles shot, and their arm will really hurt, so I dont like to layer shingles vaccines, he says.
Shingles, a painful rash caused by a reactivation of the chicken pox virus, is preventable. The CDC recommends that Everyone over 50 get two doses of the shingles vaccine.
Pneumonia Vaccine And Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine
You cant give the PCV13 pneumonia shot with a meningococcal conjugate vaccine, as they may interfere with your bodys immunologic response to PCV13, the CDC warns.
There are two meningitis vaccines available in the United States: meningococcal conjugate and MenACWY. Theres also a vaccine against meningitis B. All 11- and 12-year-olds should get a MenACWY vaccine, with a booster dose at age 16.
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