# Shingles Vaccine - For the Over 60 Crowd **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 11, 2010, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shingles-vaccine-for-the-over-60-crowd/542778 "2010-06-11T09:29:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shingles-vaccine-for-the-over-60-crowd/542778/41 "2012-08-22T20:25:44Z")
Just about all my near and dear have had shingles, so I got the vaccine at age 56. No fuss, no muss, no after effects at all and my insurance covered it. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shingles-vaccine-for-the-over-60-crowd/542778/42 "2012-08-22T20:44:12Z")
In the two years since I responded to this thread, my sister came down with a raging case of shingles on her head (because of a depressed immune system from cancer treatments). At age 75, she says it’s the most painful thing she has ever experienced, bar none. I’ve also gotten my vaccination, with zero side effects. ---
**Author:** ![impatien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c89c15/32.png) [@impatien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/impatien)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shingles-vaccine-for-the-over-60-crowd/542778/43 "2012-08-22T22:32:53Z")
As of March, 2011 the FDA approved the vaccine for people 50 and over. ---
**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:** [August 22, 2012, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shingles-vaccine-for-the-over-60-crowd/542778/44 "2012-08-22T22:43:27Z")
My mom got the shot a couple years ago. She still got shingles a couple months ago. I had shingles in 2005. I was barely in my forties. Got in my eye and I have cornea scarring. Shingles are just bad news. ---
**Author:** ![InsomniaMama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ad7895/32.png) [@InsomniaMama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InsomniaMama)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shingles-vaccine-for-the-over-60-crowd/542778/45 "2012-08-23T02:11:31Z")
And it’s not just the raging burning pain, it’s also the itching with the raging burning pain. Sleep? It is to laugh. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shingles-vaccine-for-the-over-60-crowd/542778/46 "2012-08-23T02:30:59Z")
I just had a complete physical two days ago and asked about getting the shingles vaccine early (I’m 55) and the doctor said no, but they have me slated to get it in 2017. My almost one-year-old grandson has just come down with a raging case of chickenpox, and is coming to visit (as of last night he is all scabbed over). But every doctor in the practice my daughter takes him to came in to take a look at him the other day, because three of them (in their 40’s) have never seen a case of chickenpox since they began practicing medicine! So he was a visual aid for them to learn what it really looks like, up close and itchy. And then when she stopped to drop the dog off at the vet, the vet and all the vet techs wanted to see him too, because they have never seen chickenpox. I had no idea it was so rare these days! ---
**Author:** ![StPete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@StPete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StPete)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shingles-vaccine-for-the-over-60-crowd/542778/47 "2012-08-23T02:34:41Z")
I’m 67 years old and I’ve had shingles like 3 times now. My wife looked into the possibility of getting a vaccine for herself (there is one) but our PMD told her that there was a new Federal regulation prohibiting its use for anyone younger than 75. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shingles-vaccine-for-the-over-60-crowd/542778/48 "2012-08-23T02:42:19Z")
I had shingles during chemo when I was 22. I couldn’t wear anything at all fitted around my waist for over a year. The pain was horrible, and I never want to go through that again. However, my immune system isn’t great and I don’t have a spleen. Can I get the vaccine? ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shingles-vaccine-for-the-over-60-crowd/542778/49 "2012-08-23T02:43:43Z")
> [@kittenblue](#): > > But every doctor in the practice my daughter takes him to came in to take a look at him the other day, because three of them (in their 40’s) have never seen a case of chickenpox since they began practicing medicine! So he was a visual aid for them to learn what it really looks like, up close and itchy. And then when she stopped to drop the dog off at the vet, the vet and all the vet techs wanted to see him too, because they have never seen chickenpox. I > had no idea it was so rare these days! That is an odd one, the vaccine wasn’t even on the market until 95? And it had to take a few years to get penetration to becoming a standard vaccine. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shingles-vaccine-for-the-over-60-crowd/542778/50 "2012-08-23T02:48:17Z")
> [@grude](#): > > That is an odd one, the vaccine wasn’t even on the market until 95? And it had to take a few years to get penetration to becoming a standard vaccine. In 1995 it was recomended (my son got it) and by 1999 it was required, for my daughter. Herd immunity helps the incidence rate drop fast, as there are fewer contagious people to pass it along. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shingles-vaccine-for-the-over-60-crowd/542778/51 "2012-08-23T21:40:42Z")
I’ll add my one data point. Had chicken pox as a kid, thus I’m at risk for getting shingles someday. Got shingles vaccine shot last year (age 60). No sweat. It “felt” identical to a flu shot (as opposed to the rather obnoxious pneumonia vaccine shot I got last year). Not a hint of a trace of a clue of any side effect that I could notice. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shingles-vaccine-for-the-over-60-crowd/542778/52 "2012-08-23T23:42:48Z")
I have no idea if I had chicken pox as a young kid, and can’t ask my parents as they are both gone. Is there a way a doctor can test you and know if you ever had chicken pox? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shingles-vaccine-for-the-over-60-crowd/542778/53 "2012-08-23T23:47:45Z")
Yes. They perform a blood test looking for a specific antibody to chicken pox. You will have to specifically request it as it’s not a standard test but it does exist. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shingles-vaccine-for-the-over-60-crowd/542778.md?page=2)