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Disease information

Virus or bacteria

Shingles is caused by herpes zoster virus.

How it spreads

• After a chickenpox infection, herpes zoster virus lives silently in nerve cells. The virus can reawaken when a person's immune system is weakened by age or illness causing shingles.
• Herpes zoster virus can spread to a person who is susceptible to chickenpox if they have direct contact with a shingles rash that has not crusted over, but someone with shingles cannot give shingles to others.

Shingles is not contagious, but anyone who has had chickenpox can get shingles. Also, anyone who has not had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine, can get chickenpox if exposed to the blisters of someone with shingles.

Symptoms

• Rash (typically occurs on one side of the body along a nerve)
• Severe pain

Typical disease timeline

Shingles rashes last about 10 days; however, even after the rash disappears, pain and sensitivity at the site where the lesions occurred can last for months.

Possible complications

• Post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN)
• Scarring
• Bacterial infections where the rash occurred
• Reduced vision and blindness (if the rash occurred around the eye)

Other things you should know

• Shingles only occurs in people.
• The pain from shingles is considered one of the worst in medicine. It can last for months or years and be so severe that a person cannot complete everyday tasks, such as dressing or eating.
• Although people do not die from shingles, the debilitating pain has caused some people to commit suicide.

Vaccine information

The shingles vaccine is used to prevent shingles.

Vaccine type

• Recombinant vaccines

Type of vaccines

The shingles vaccine, called Shingrix, is a recombinant vaccine. The vaccine is made using a single protein from the surface of herpes zoster virus as well as two adjuvants. It offers better protection against the long-term pain associated with shingles compared to an older version, called Zostavax. The vaccine is given to adults 50 years of age and older in two doses separated by two to six months.

Shingles vaccine effects

Common

• Redness, pain, swelling or itching at the injection site (34 of 100 recipients)
• Fever of 101ᴼF or higher (Fewer than 1 of 100 recipients)
• Headache (9 of 100 recipients)
• Fatigue (5 of 100 recipients)
• Body aches (5 of 100 recipients)
• Shivering (5 of 100 recipients)

Rare

• None

Very rare

• Serious allergic reaction (fewer than 1 of 1,000,000 recipients)

Reasons to get the shingles vaccine

• Anyone who has had chickenpox can get shingles.
• Shingles can cause long-term, debilitating pain.
• People can have shingles more than once.
• Contact with a shingles rash can cause chickenpox in someone who's never had chickenpox or the vaccine.
• The shingles vaccine is safe.