Shingles Vaccine
Varicella Zoster Virus Vaccination
The Shingles Vaccine is now available on the NHS to patients who are over 70. As a result we are currently unable to purchase this vaccine.
The Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) produces two separate conditions known Chicken Pox (Varicella) and Shingles (Herpes Zoster). Shingles (Herpes Zoster) is the manifestation of the Varicella-Zoster virus, which remains latent within the body following Chicken Pox and reactivates later on in life. Therefore, only people who have had chicken pox can develop shingles and shingles cannot be caught from someone with chicken pox.
A major risk factor for both the severity of shingles is age. Immunity begins to drop more sharply from 50 years of age and relates to the decrease of specific cellular immunity to the varicella-zoster virus.
1 in four Adults will develop Shingles in their lifetime (If they have had Chicken Pox).
Shingles mainly occurs in the elderly.
The risk of developing shingles approximately doubles every decade after the age of 50.
It is not possible to contract shingles from contact with a case of chickenpox.
It is possible for a susceptible person to contract chickenpox from a case of shingles by transmission of virus from lesions.
For more information please visit - www.shinglesaware.co.uk
