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| Vaccine-Preventable Diseases |
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Shingles (zoster) |
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Shingles is a painful disease caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. It is also called zoster. Shingles usually includes a painful rash with blisters that can occur anywhere on your body, even the face and eyes. The main symptom of shingles is severe pain. Some people have compared it with the pain of childbirth or kidney stones. |
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For about 1 out of 5 people with shingles, severe pain can continue for months, or even years. This long-lasting pain can be so bad that it interferes with eating and sleeping. Some people with severe pain from shingles have even committed suicide. Although some medicines can help treat shingles, there is no cure. |
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Anyone who has ever had chickenpox can get shingles. You are more likely to develop shingles as you get older. |
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The best
way to prevent shingles and its serious
complications is to get vaccinated. You
should get the shingles vaccine if you
are age 50 years or older, even if
you’ve already had shingles. It is
possible to get the disease more than
once. |
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| Shingles (zoster) Vaccine Schedule |
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One shingles vaccine, Shingrix,
is available in the United
States. If you are age 50 years
or older, you should get the
2-dose series of Shingrix
vaccine even if you previously
received an earlier shingles
vaccine called Zostavax. |
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| Trusted Websites |
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| Senior Health: Shingles |
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| Informational website, includes cause, symptoms, treatment, prevention and videos of shingles from the National Institutes of Health |
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| What is Shingles? |
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| Shingles is a common disease among older adults, but most people don't know how to recognize its symptoms in time to get effective treatment. |
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Video Library |
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| Watch Shingles: A Family Story: A powerful video from PKIDs.org about a family's experience with the complications of shingles. "Herpes zoster ophthalmicus" is the term for shingles involving the eye (shingles virus has invaded an ophthalmic nerve) can become temporarily blind and suffer impairment of their vision. |
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| >> view all shingles videos |
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| Personal Testimonies |
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| Stories of suffering and loss from shingles |
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| More Shingles (zoster) Information |
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| This page was updated
on October 9, 2020. |
| This page was reviewed
on October 9, 2020. |
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Immunization Action Coalition • 2550 University Avenue West • Suite 415 North • Saint Paul, Minnesota • 55114 |
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tel 651-647-9009 • fax 651-647-9131 |
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The Immunization Action Coalition (IAC), a non-profit organization, works to increase immunization rates and prevent disease by creating and distributing educational materials for health professionals and the public that enhance delivery of safe and effective immunization services. IAC also facilitates communication about the safety, efficacy, and use of vaccines within the broad immunization community of patients, parents, healthcare organizations, and government health agencies. |
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