I tried getting it a year or two ago, but the pharmacies near me never had any in stock. I finally got around to getting it a couple of days ago, the first shot anyway. They had plenty in stock, and I feel assured they’ll still have a good supply when it comes time to get my second shot.
But that first shot has given me the sorest arm ever. It’s far more painful than any other vaccine I’ve ever received. It’s almost 48 hours after the vaccination, and I feel like someone repeatedly slugged me in the arm with a cricket bat. The area is hot, too. However, I never felt feverish or sick from it.
But from what I read about shingles, this is preferable. Is Shingrix now readily available at your pharmacy?
There was a brief delay between the time I went looking for the vaccine and when the pharmacy had it in stock, no problem getting the second shot.
Sore arm was never an issue, though I did feel somewhat fatigued/blah for about a day after the first shot, with less blah after the second.
So after getting the first and second versions of the shingles vaccine I hopefully am solidly protected. Given how our immune systems decline with age (encouraging dormant zoster virus to spring to life), it’s one less thing to worry about.
The 2 part vaccine is readily available in my area. I got the first vaccine about 2 weeks ago and had the same reaction as the OP. My arm hurt like a mo fo for 72 hours.
I got my first Shingrix shot in November 2019 - my doctor’s office seemed to be perpetually out of it, but the pharmacy closest to my house had it, so I went there. Yes to the sore arm - for both the first and second shots - plus I was feverish and felt a bit crappy for a day or two afterward. Glad I got it though.
The latest vaccine shortage around here seems to be the high-dose flu shot.
I also got it at least a year ago. My reaction was very similar to yours, teelabrown. I sleep mostly on my right side, and I wasn’t thinking when I got the shot and said that using the right arm for the shot is fine. I couldn’t sleep on it at all for a couple of nights. It felt hot, too.I remembered to ask for the second shot in my left arm, and, of course, it didn’t hurt half as much as the first shot.
Northern CA. I got the first round about a month ago. The Dr. office asked me to call ahead of my appt to make sure they had it in-stock, but no prob getting the shot. Yes, my arm was a bit sore for a couple days but manageable.
NoVa. Last week had no trouble scheduling the first dose at my regular pharmacy together with this year’s flu shot (my primary MD had been advising me to do so since last year). Same experience as others with the couple of days of achy arm and general less-than-great feeling.
Basically, yes. According to what the pharmacist told me, it’s designed to evoke a strong immune response, and the feeling crappy part is part of that, though not everyone will react the same way and that doesn’t necessarily mean it hasn’t worked.
My wife and I got it a couple years ago here in Montreal. The first shot was somewhat painful for me but my wife had a reaction like Teela’s. I don’t recall any particular reaction to the second shot. We had to get it from the pharmacy (by our doctor’s prescriptions) and take it to his office for the injection.
We had an earlier, one shot shingles vaccination; that may have made a difference.
From what I have heard of shingles, get the shingrix ASAP.
There is a growing shortage of flu vaccine here, especially the high dosage shot. In previous years, you would get them in a large hall with a hundred or more people; this is obviously not in the cards this year. We have appointments at the pharmacy for Friday the 13th.
Shingrix was evidently approved in October 2017. My wife had already had the older and much less effective Zostavax, but our doctor wanted her to get the new vaccine as well as soon as possible. Shingrix wasn’t readily available in our area (Connecticut) until early 2019. Even then, our doctor’s office still didn’t have it available, but the local pharmacies did.
Anyway, my wife and I both got the first Shingrix shot in March 2019, and the second shot in June 2019. I remember that one of the two shots was more painful than the other and that I had a very sore arm and felt a little ill for a couple of days. (I’m pretty sure it was the first shot that was more painful.) After a couple of days of discomfort, though, there were no other residual side effects.
It seems to be readily available in my area. I just finished my second one recently. I will concur that it is the most painful shot I remember. Not the initial shot. But days later. My first one was sore and hot for about 10 days. Second one for about 4 days. I was feeling ill and had a fever with both. I guess yay for a reactive immune system.
NYC burbs, hubby and I got the 1st one Aug 2019 and ugh it hurt for days! The only shot I remember being anywhere as bad was for cholera back in the early 70s.
The 2nd shingrix dose wasn’t available any time during the 2-6 month window. We would ask whenever we went to the CVS where we got part 1 and they would say no, they had no idea when they would have it again. Then the pandemic hit and we were sheltering at home .
Finally one morning this July I happened to be picking up a prescription for something else, saw a sign posted WE HAVE SHINGRIX and jumped at it. I asked whether they were likely to run out (hubby couldn’t come in until the evening) and they said no, they had a good supply.
When I got the first dose, I spent the rest of the day thinking, “Hey, this was a breeze!” The next morning I woke up feeling like a truck had run over me.
Still, it’s better than the alternative. My dad had shingles, and for a while he was talking about going to Mexico to have his nerves cut. (He didn’t.)
Then I must have had the granddaddy of all immune responses. For the first shot I got the pain plus fever and chills so bad I thought that just maybe I was coincidentally coming down with COVID. But 48 hours later it was like it never happened. 2 months later, the 2nd shot, and the same thing happened. So glad a third isn’t required.
Shingrix is out of stock in my area. I’ve been looking.
I had the other shingles vaccine and it did not do a damn thing. I had not one but two shingles attacks a couple of years after I got the previous vaccine–within 6 weeks of each other. Shingrix has to be better and worth the immune response.