# Did you Get the New Shingles shot? Were you sick afterwards? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 2, 2019, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-the-new-shingles-shot-were-you-sick-afterwards/827067 "2019-01-02T00:07:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2019, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-the-new-shingles-shot-were-you-sick-afterwards/827067/21 "2019-01-04T05:26:01Z")
I got a Zostavax shot in late summer of 2017, and on October 3rd of that year, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. The stress of that, and the immune suppression caused by my radiation treatments, ordinarily might have precipitated a shingles attack, but it didn’t. Having had the shot didn’t hurt, anyway, after the needle was pulled out. I had no side effects from it. My brother put off getting the shingles vax, and broke out with it this summer. I do know what most likely led to it: One of his kids spent the summer as an exchange student in Indonesia. 🆒 In this case, it was positive stress, but still, having a kid on the other side of the world, regardless of why, would stress out any parent. p.s. Aceplace, are you sure your mother’s illness was from the shot, and not from some GI bug she would have contracted anyway? ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2019, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-the-new-shingles-shot-were-you-sick-afterwards/827067/22 "2019-01-04T06:59:05Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > My brother put off getting the shingles vax, and broke out with it this summer. I do know what most likely led to it: One of his kids spent the summer as an exchange student in Indonesia. 🆒 In this case, it was positive stress, but still, having a kid on the other side of the world, regardless of why, would stress out any parent. Shingles is caused by a herpes-variant virus. It is not caused by stress. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2019, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-the-new-shingles-shot-were-you-sick-afterwards/827067/23 "2019-01-04T07:11:48Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > p.s. Aceplace, are you sure your mother’s illness was from the shot, and not from some GI bug she would have contracted anyway? The symptoms that Aceplace reported are consistent with what those that the CDC describes in the link I provided in the second post - albeit explosive diarrhea sounds severe. CDC also say that the side effects are common, anecdotally supported by posts from others who have had the shots here. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2019, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-the-new-shingles-shot-were-you-sick-afterwards/827067/24 "2019-01-07T13:11:50Z")
I finally got the second shot. I was in the pharmacy picking up something else and just asked the pharmacist. She had one dose left so I got it right then and there. Some soreness at the injection site, and a little general tiredness, but I’m done with this. ---
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2019, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-the-new-shingles-shot-were-you-sick-afterwards/827067/25 "2019-01-07T19:10:21Z")
“Most people got a sore arm with mild or moderate pain after getting Shingrix, and some also had redness and swelling where they got the shot. Some people felt tired, had muscle pain, a headache, shivering, fever, stomach pain, or nausea. About 1 out of 6 people who got Shingrix experienced side effects that prevented them from doing regular activities. Symptoms went away on their own in about 2 to 3 days. Side effects were more common in younger people.” I don’t see diarrhea there at all. I’d think that would be specifically listed. I just got a sore arm. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2019, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-the-new-shingles-shot-were-you-sick-afterwards/827067/26 "2019-01-07T19:15:22Z")
> [@AllShookDown](#): > > I don’t see diarrhea there at all. I’d think that would be specifically listed. The CDC says “stomach pain”; the wording used on the Shingrix commercial site is “upset stomach”. > **[Side Effects | SHINGRIX (Zoster Vaccine Recombinant, Adjuvanted)](https://www.shingrix.com/side-effects/)** > > Learn about common side effects of SHINGRIX (Zoster Vaccine Recombinant, Adjuvanted). Discover possible allergic reactions. It’s not a big leap from general GI distress to diarrhea. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2019, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-the-new-shingles-shot-were-you-sick-afterwards/827067/27 "2019-01-08T02:40:12Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I got Shingles in my late forties (2003). How long were you in your late forties? This post is from 2011 > [@Guys: how old a woman is too old ?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-how-old-a-woman-is-too-old/592385/28): > > Ten years either way would be my limit. I’m in my late forties. So late thirties or late fifties is fine. > > When I was 25, it was different. Thirty-five to forty was fine. No one under 20. [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14132557&postcount=28](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14132557&postcount=28) ---
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-the-new-shingles-shot-were-you-sick-afterwards/827067/28 "2019-01-15T15:22:31Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > The CDC says “stomach pain”; the wording used on the Shingrix commercial site is “upset stomach”. > > [Side Effects | SHINGRIX (Zoster Vaccine Recombinant, Adjuvanted)](https://www.shingrix.com/side-effects.html) > > It’s not a big leap from general GI distress to diarrhea. I disagree. If diarrhea was a side effect it would say “diarrhea.” Stomach pain is not diarrhea. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-the-new-shingles-shot-were-you-sick-afterwards/827067/29 "2019-01-15T18:56:29Z")
> [@AllShookDown](#): > > I disagree. If diarrhea was a side effect it would say “diarrhea.” Stomach pain is not diarrhea. Why just ignore what I linked to and quoted on the Shingrix commercial site in an attempt to clarify? Do you think “ **upset stomach** ” is a narrow term that excludes diarrhea? It seems to me that it’s a fairly general term for GI symptoms. > **[Upset Stomach](https://www.uhs.wisc.edu/medical/upset-stomach/)** > > Upset stomach or abdominal pain is most often due to inflammation of the stomach lining and intestines caused by viruses. Typically, an upset stomach can be treated at home. If symptoms are extreme or prolonged, medical care is needed. Symptoms... > [@](#): > > **Upset stomach** > > Upset stomach or abdominal pain is most often due to inflammation of the stomach lining and intestines caused by viruses. Typically, an upset stomach can be treated at home. If symptoms are extreme or prolonged, medical care is needed. > > Symptoms > Cramping abdominal pain > Nausea or vomiting > **Diarrhea** , loose or liquid stools, increased number of stools > Headache or body aches > Fatigue > Chills, with or without fevers ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2019, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-the-new-shingles-shot-were-you-sick-afterwards/827067/30 "2019-04-09T16:18:49Z")
Digging this thread up again to say I got the second Shingrix shot a little over a week ago. I was prepared for the flu-like symptoms this time and took the day off–as before, I went to bed in the midafternoon and slept until 7ish, when I woke up and felt better, but not well enough to bother getting up again. This time, I also had a large red swollen patch just below the injection site that began to worry me when it started to spread down toward the bend in my arm over the next two days. Ice and cortisone cream helped a bit. When I mentioned it to the pharmacist, he said that it was not an out-of-the-ordinary reaction in the “redness and swelling” category. It took a couple more days for the puffiness to recede. The skin is still slightly discolored, like a bruise that never fully developed. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2019, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-the-new-shingles-shot-were-you-sick-afterwards/827067/31 "2019-04-09T20:44:02Z")
My wife and I both got the first Shingrix shot about 10 days ago. It’s recommended for anyone age 50 and older. I had one of the worst reactions I’ve ever gotten from a vaccine – and with that said, it still wasn’t that bad. My arm was very sore, like a bad bruise (but no actual bruising). It was also a little puffy and swollen, but not enough to worry about. The skin was very irritated from the band-aid after the shot. I might have felt a little fatigued, but nothing else. No GI symptoms that I noticed. The arm soreness lasted 3-4 days. My wife had less of a reaction than me. We’re supposed to get the second shot 2-6 months after the first. > [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Is it necessary if you’ve had shingles? I had shingles and developed post-herpatic pain that went on for 18mos. I do not want the shot. I’m afraid of it. The shingles is a nasty and painful disease. I assumed I couldn’t get it again. Crap. I’ll have to ask my Doc about this. You can get shingles again, because just like chickenpox (which is caused by the same virus), your immune system apparently never completely clears the virus from your body. For what it’s worth, the Shingrix shot does not contain live virus. It is an inactivated recombinant, adjuvanted (non-live) vaccine. The older vaccine (Zostavax) is a live attenuated vaccine. Cites: > **[Vaccine Information Statement | Shingles Recombinant | VIS | CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/vis-statements/shingles-recombinant.html)** > > Shingles Vaccine Information Statement > **[Herpes Zoster Shingrix Vaccine Recommendations | CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/shingles/hcp/shingrix/recommendations.html)** > > Shingrix (recombinant zoster vaccine) recommendations include dosage, timing considerations, contraindications and precautions. > **[Shingrix Vaccine FAQs | CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/shingles/hcp/shingrix/faqs.html)** > > Healthcare providers can get answers to common questions about the Shingrix vaccine. > **[FAQs | SHINGRIX (Zoster Vaccine Recombinant, Adjuvanted)](https://www.shingrix.com/shingrix-faqs/)** > > Explore frequently asked questions around topics like side effects, dosing, and more. [http://www.immunize.org/askexperts/experts\_zos.asp](http://www.immunize.org/askexperts/experts_zos.asp) P.S. The last link has answers to just about any question you can think of regarding administration of the vaccine. Some of the questions cover people with history of shingles: > [@](#): > > **Can someone who has experienced an episode of shingles be vaccinated with zoster vaccine?** > > Yes. Adults with a history of herpes zoster should receive RZV. If a person is experiencing an episode of zoster, vaccination should be delayed until the acute phase of the illness is over and symptoms abate. > > **A 33-year-old patient in my practice has already suffered from three episodes of shingles. He would like to receive the zoster vaccine. Is this a good idea?** > > ACIP does not have a recommendation to administer either zoster vaccine to people younger than 50 years with recurrent zoster episodes. However, clinicians may choose to administer a vaccine off-label, if in their clinical judgment, they think the vaccine is indicated. The patient should be informed that the use is off-label, and that the safety and efficacy of the vaccine has not been tested in people younger than 50. > > **We have an 18-year-old male who had a history of chickenpox disease. He now has shingles. We are unsure what we are to advise for future treatment. Should we administer zoster vaccine?** > > The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice does not recommend zoster vaccination for people younger than age 50 years regardless of their history of shingles. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2019, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-the-new-shingles-shot-were-you-sick-afterwards/827067/32 "2019-04-10T01:12:21Z")
> [@rbroome](#): > > I have gotten both the old and the new shingles shots. In all 3 cases (as mentioned upthread the new shot is 2 doses) I had a sore arm for a day or so. No other side effects. This is me exactly. From stories I have heard about shingles, it is well worth it. I don’t know whether the fact that I had the worst case of chicken pox (at around 15) that our family doctor had ever seen made it more or less likely that I would have a severe reaction. But I didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2019, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-the-new-shingles-shot-were-you-sick-afterwards/827067/33 "2019-04-10T01:17:17Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I’m not old enough for the shot. Me neither. I plan to get it once I am, though. ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2019, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-the-new-shingles-shot-were-you-sick-afterwards/827067/34 "2019-04-10T01:42:25Z")
I’ve been on the waiting list at Walgreens since October. No call yet. ---
**Author:** ![Turki-lurki](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turki-lurki/32/7168_2.png) [@Turki-lurki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turki-lurki)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2019, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-the-new-shingles-shot-were-you-sick-afterwards/827067/35 "2019-04-10T01:54:31Z")
Yep- I got the 2 shot series. Site was sore for 10 days each time. Well worth it. Ever seen shingles? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2019, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-the-new-shingles-shot-were-you-sick-afterwards/827067/36 "2019-04-10T14:59:10Z")
Diarrhea is not listed by the CDC as a side effect. Web MD lists diarrhea as an ‘infrequent’ side effect with the caveat “If experienced, these tend to have a Less Severe expression”. I strongly suspect that aceplace’s mother picked up another bug on Saturday or earlier that led to the explosive diarrhea. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2019, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-the-new-shingles-shot-were-you-sick-afterwards/827067/37 "2019-04-10T16:35:47Z")
After my last doctor’s appointment, he planned to give me the vaccine starting at my next visit, which was today. However, due to the ongoing shortages he had to postpone until sometime in the future when it becomes more available. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2019, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-the-new-shingles-shot-were-you-sick-afterwards/827067/38 "2019-04-10T18:32:33Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > How long were you in your late forties? > > This post is from 2011 > [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14132557&postcount=28](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14132557&postcount=28) LOL time to revive good ole Acey’s pit thread. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2019, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-the-new-shingles-shot-were-you-sick-afterwards/827067/39 "2019-04-10T19:53:02Z")
For a stupid typo seven years ago? That’s a hit harsh don’t you think? I have over 25,000 posts. There’s going to be the occasional mistyped word. Auto correct probably screwed me in that post. Just a guess, who knows after 7 years. I’m waiting until this Fall for my Shingles shot. Hopefully the shortage will be resolved by then. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2019, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-the-new-shingles-shot-were-you-sick-afterwards/827067/40 "2019-04-10T19:58:55Z")
I got the shot, and didn’t feel sick afterwards. And I never get a flu shot, because they make me sick every time. My then-88-year-old mother came down with shingles, and based on her experience, I don’t ever want that to happen to me. Get your shingles shot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-the-new-shingles-shot-were-you-sick-afterwards/827067.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-get-the-new-shingles-shot-were-you-sick-afterwards/827067.md?page=3)