Shingles jab

[Martin Shenfield]

Gday Rip,

I was wondering if you have any wisdom on shingles and more specifically shingles vaccines?

Mum has had several shingles outbreaks over the years and she's 68 years old.

She came over to train today but showed me her arms and asked if I thought it was shingles, it was extremely itchy and painful. Obviously I decided we were not training. Taken her to doctor to hopefully give her antivirals. Told her to lie and say she only just noticed because in the land of Oz she won't get anything if it's been three days and they'll just leave her to suffer.

Anyway, once she's clear are the jabs worth it for this? I can't exactly trust the mainstream medical world for an opinion in this country.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I got the vax years ago, but I can't tell if it did anything positive.

[Martin Shenfield]

Thanks.

Guess you're still here so didn't do anything overly negative either.

They gave her antivirals. I think she will have the jab later on.

[wal]

Gday Rip,

I was wondering if you have any wisdom on shingles and more specifically shingles vaccines?

Mum has had several shingles outbreaks over the years and she's 68 years old.

She came over to train today but showed me her arms and asked if I thought it was shingles, it was extremely itchy and painful. Obviously I decided we were not training. Taken her to doctor to hopefully give her antivirals. Told her to lie and say she only just noticed because in the land of Oz she won't get anything if it's been three days and they'll just leave her to suffer.

Anyway, once she's clear are the jabs worth it for this? I can't exactly trust the mainstream medical world for an opinion in this country.

Shingles is bad for older folk. It is the old chicken pox virus. Most of us old folk had chicken pox when were were kids then we got immunity, however it can reactivate when we are old, so here (Australia) it is recommend to get the shingvax, some is a one shot the newer stuff is a two shot vaccine.

I have seen old folk with shingles, it is not a pleasant experience.

[Jdcuth]

Gday Rip,

I was wondering if you have any wisdom on shingles and more specifically shingles vaccines?

Mum has had several shingles outbreaks over the years and she's 68 years old.

She came over to train today but showed me her arms and asked if I thought it was shingles, it was extremely itchy and painful. Obviously I decided we were not training. Taken her to doctor to hopefully give her antivirals. Told her to lie and say she only just noticed because in the land of Oz she won't get anything if it's been three days and they'll just leave her to suffer.

Anyway, once she's clear are the jabs worth it for this? I can't exactly trust the mainstream medical world for an opinion in this country.

Antivirals do no affect the acute course of the illness they only prevent postherpetic neuralgia- which is more common in the elderly but the most benefit is seen if given within 72 hours of onset of the rash. So after 72 hours the risk benefit is less obvious.

Shingles becomes more common as we age as the cell mediated immunity gained from either chickenpox or the primary HZ vaccine wears off so shingles vaccine is offered usually around age 70. It is well researched and pretty safe and Shingles (and especially postherpetic neuralgia) can be pretty devastating in the elderly (I've heard of suicides due to the uncontrolled pain).

But make sure you're convinced by the diagnosis. Being recurrent is more unusual as a breakout usually boosts the immune system against it and it can be misdiagnosed.

[AndrewLewis]

she won't get anything if it's been three days and they'll just leave her to suffer.

I would hope this wouldn't be their response. When I went into the ER for what I thought was staph, they took one look and gave me antibiotics.

What literally happened was the nurse came in and said "What's wrong with you?" and I took my shirt off and pointed to my chest and he said "you've got shingles." and then the doctor came in four seconds later and said "What's wrong with this guy?" and the nurse said "he's got shingles" pointing to my chest. The doctor looked over at my chest and said "Yeah he does!" as though she just won a very minor raffle at a charity party. She said "I'm going to write you a prescription for antibiotics" and then left. One week, later, I was good to go.

Then someone broke into my car and stole my medicine - rough Christmas.

Oh. I just noticed you're in Australia. That might change medical experiences a little.

[CplGirthington]

I feel compelled to add my almost worthless anecdotal conjecture. Tangentially related, childrens' vaccination schedule has included a chicken pox vaccine for the last decade plus. Prior to this nobody can remember children having shingles. I have heard of kids with shingles on multiple occasions in the past ten years, and am left to connect those two dots.

How American culture has come to blindly vaccinate for a disease that doesn't kill kids with access to clean water and proper shelter without weighing potential negatives has always miffed me. It does appear that some of the covid vax backlash and a thread title like this one, that people are thinking and talking.

I'm a few years too young to speak on Measles, but was under the impression from The Brady Bunch reruns that it was pretty much the chicken pox of Rip and his parents' generations. The media gets a throbbing boner when breakthrough cases of Measles pop up, but they never get around to reporting any deaths.

[mkm5]

I got the vax years ago, but I can't tell if it did anything positive.

Same. Probably the last vax I got, but never again now, obviously.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Shingles is bad for older folk. It is the old chicken pox virus. Most of us old folk had chicken pox when were were kids then we got immunity, however it can reactivate when we are old, so here (Australia) it is recommend to get the shingvax, some is a one shot the newer stuff is a two shot vaccine.

I have seen old folk with shingles, it is not a pleasant experience.

Right. It's bad. But that doesn't mean the vax actually works. You should have learned this by now.

[wal]

Right. It's bad. But that doesn't mean the vax actually works. You should have learned this by now.

Mark I told you this before, I was given back in the 60's polio Sabin vaccine like most of us were in those days as polio was a nasty disease with devastating results and since then we have been probably over vaccinated as man tries to overcome all know diseases from the old world diseases to now making a vaccine for melanoma, for us white folk a life saver, but you know as well as I do there is always a risk factor and yes not all vaccines work. Life is just one long risk evaluation on just about everything we do.