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\nShingles is a painful rash illness, which sometimes leads to long-term nerve pain. About 1 out of 3 people in the United States will develop shingles during their lifetime. Your risk of shingles increases as you get older. People 50 and older should get 2 doses of the new shingles vaccine to protect against this painful disease.
CDC recommends that healthy adults 50 years and older receive two doses of a new shingles vaccine called Shingrix. Shingrix provides strong protection against shingles and is the preferred vaccine over Zostavax\u00ae, a shingles vaccine in use since 2006. Shingrix is more than 90% effective at preventing shingles and long-term nerve pain.
\nCDC still recommends Zostavax for healthy adults 60 years and older to prevent shingles. This shingles vaccine may be used in certain cases, such as when a person prefers Zostavax or requires immediate vaccination and Shingrix is not available.
\nShingles vaccines are available in doctors\u2019 offices and pharmacies. To find doctors\u2019 offices or pharmacies near you that offer the vaccines, visit HealthMap Vaccine FinderExternal \n .
\nShingles, also known as herpes zoster, is caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV), the same virus that causes chickenpox. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus stays dormant (inactive) in the body. For reasons that are not fully known, the virus can reactivate years later and cause shingles. Shingles cannot be passed from one person to another.
\nShingles causes a painful, blistering skin rash that can last two to four weeks. For some people, the pain can last for months or even years after the rash goes away. This pain is called postherpetic neuralgia or PHN. It is the most common complication of shingles. The risk of shingles and PHN increase as you get older.
\nPeople have described pain from shingles as excruciating, aching, burning, stabbing, and shock-like. It has been compared to the pain of childbirth or kidney stones. This pain may also lead to depression, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Shingles can interfere with activities of daily life like dressing, bathing, eating, cooking, shopping, and travel. Shingles may lead to eye complications, including blindness.
\nYou may experience some short-term side effects because Shingrix causes a strong response in your immune system.
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