Getting the shingles vaccine is the only way to reduce the risk of developing shingles and to lessen the risk of complications like postherpetic neuralgia.
Shingles, which affects one in three adults, is caused by the varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. If you’ve had a past chickenpox infection, as more than 99 percent of people born before 1980 have, the virus can become reactivated later in life and cause shingles. You can also get shingles more than once, but getting vaccinated can prevent subsequent infections.
The recombinant zoster vaccine, also known as Shingrix, is approved for adults age 50 and older, as well as for adults age 19 and older who are or will be at increased risk of herpes zoster due to a weakened immune system caused by illness or medication.
An older, live vaccine, Zostavax, was discontinued in 2020. If you have had shingles already, received Zostavax, or aren’t sure whether you ever had chickenpox, you should get vaccinated with the recombinant zoster vaccine (Shingrix), which is given as two shots, two to six months apart.
In an 18-country study of more than 15,000 people, researchers found that the recombinant zoster vaccine was 97.2 percent effective in preventing shingles among those age 50 and older.
In a second study, which included nearly 14,000 participants, the same researchers found that the vaccine was 91.2 percent effective at preventing postherpetic neuralgia, the aforementioned complication that causes nerve pain that can last for months or years, in adults over the age of 50. And it was 88.8 percent effective at preventing it in adults age 70 and older.
A follow-up study of the people from these two clinical trials looked at how long protection from the vaccine lasts. At 11 years, it proved to be 82 percent effective at preventing shingles, 87.5 percent effective against postherpetic neuralgia, and 91.7 percent effective against other shingles complications in participants over 50.
Out-of-pocket costs for the recombinant zoster vaccine can vary. Most private health insurance and Medicaid plans cover the vaccine, but you may be responsible for some of the cost, depending on which plan you have. Medicare Part D (the Medicare prescription drug plan) should cover the cost.
