How far apart do you get the shingles shot

Shingles is a painful condition, and the effects of it can last for months or even years in some cases. Although there is no cure for shingles once you have it, there is a vaccine that prevents shingles in the first place.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that healthy adults over the age of 50 get the shingles vaccine. This is true even if you’ve had shingles in the past, or if you were previously vaccinated with the older shingles vaccine.

The shingles vaccine is administered in two separate doses—once you receive the first dose, the second should be given 2 to 6 months later. After the second dose, the vaccine is more than 90 percent effective at preventing shingles, according to the CDC.

Why the second dose matters
The shingles vaccine is designed to be given as two doses, not as one. Despite the effectiveness of the vaccine, some people skip their second dose. Some simply forget to follow up and lose track of the appointment date. Others may skip the second dose due to cost—depending on your insurance plan, you may be responsible for a co-pay or deductible fee, or you may need to pay for the second dose out of pocket.

Getting the second dose gives you the full protection the vaccine offers. Below are some ways to make sure you get your second dose.

Book your second dose appointment in advance
You can get the shingles vaccine at your healthcare provider’s office or at a pharmacy. If possible, book your second appointment when you finish getting your first dose. If you get the vaccine through your healthcare provider, you can schedule this at the office. If you get it at a pharmacy, you can check with your pharmacist.

Set up a reminder system
If you’ve already booked your second dose appointment, simply program a reminder in your smartphone or other place where you keep track of your schedule.

If you haven’t booked a second appointment, you can still set up a reminder for yourself after your first dose to look into scheduling your second dose two months later. The manufacturer of the shingles vaccine also has a second-dose reminder program on their website where you can set up a voicemail, text, or email reminder.

Check on your insurance coverage
Even if you didn’t check with your health insurance company before your first dose, you can do it now so that there won’t be any financial surprises with your second dose. While some insurance companies cover the cost of both doses, others will charge a co-pay or deductible. And some insurance plans don’t cover any portion of the vaccine.

There are also resources and payment options to help make the vaccine more affordable. Check prices with drug discount cards. Check if you qualify for payment assistance through the vaccine’s manufacturer on their website. Ask your healthcare providers office about financing and pricing options.

A vaccine to prevent shingles, a common, painful skin disease, is available on the NHS to people in their 70s.

The shingles vaccine is given as an injection into the upper arm. Unlike the flu vaccine, you'll only need to have the vaccination once and you can have it at any time of the year.

Most people will only need 1 dose, but some people who cannot have the routine vaccine for health reasons will need 2 doses.

The shingles vaccine is expected to reduce your risk of getting shingles. If you do go on to have the disease, your symptoms may be milder and the illness shorter.

Shingles can be very painful and uncomfortable. Some people are left with pain lasting for years after the initial rash has healed. Shingles can also be fatal for around 1 in 1,000 over-70s who develop it.

It's fine to have the shingles vaccine if you've already had shingles. The shingles vaccine works very well in people who have had shingles before, and it will boost your immunity against further shingles attacks. Your GP will tell you how long to wait after you recover from shingles before having the shingles vaccine. This may be up to 1 year.

Who can have the shingles vaccination?

You're eligible for the shingles vaccine if you are aged 70 to 79.

The shingles vaccine is not available on the NHS to anyone aged 80 or over because it seems to be less effective in this age group.

Find out more about who can have the shingles vaccine.

How do I get the shingles vaccine?

Once you become eligible for shingles vaccination a GP or practice nurse will offer you the vaccine when you attend the surgery for general reasons.

If you are worried that you may miss out on the shingles vaccination, contact your GP surgery to arrange an appointment to have the vaccine.

What is the brand name of the shingles vaccine?

There are 2 shingles vaccines used in the UK:

• Zostavax, a live vaccine given as 1 dose
• Shingrix, a non-live vaccine given as 2 doses, 2 months apart

Most people will have the Zostavax vaccine. The Shingrix vaccine is recommended if Zostavax is not suitable for you, for example if you have a condition that affects your immune system.

You can read more about the shingles vaccines in the patient information leaflets:

• Electronic Medicines Compendium: Zostavax leaflet
• Electronic Medicines Compendium: Shingrix leaflet

How does the shingles vaccine work?

The vaccine recommended for most people is a live vaccine called Zostavax. It contains a weakened chickenpox virus (varicella-zoster virus). It's similar, but not identical, to the chickenpox vaccine.

People with a weakened immune system cannot have live vaccines. They will be offered a non-live vaccine called Shingrix. It activates the immune system but also contains an ingredient called an adjuvant, which helps to boost the response to the vaccine.

Very occasionally, people develop chickenpox following shingles vaccination (fewer than 1 in 10,000 individuals). Talk to a GP if this happens to you.

How long will the shingles vaccine protect me for?

It's difficult to be precise, but research suggests the shingles vaccine will protect you for at least 5 years, probably longer.

How safe is the shingles vaccine?

There is a lot of evidence showing that the shingles vaccine is very safe. Both types of vaccine have already been used in several countries, including the US and Canada, and no safety concerns have been raised. The vaccine also has few side effects.

Read more about shingles vaccine side effects.

What is shingles?

Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a painful skin rash caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus (varicella-zoster virus) in people who have previously had chickenpox.

It begins with a burning sensation in the skin, followed by a rash of very painful fluid-filled blisters that can then burst and turn into sores before healing. Often an area on just one side of the body is affected, usually the chest but sometimes the head, face and eye.

Read more about the symptoms of shingles.

How is shingles spread?

You do not "catch" shingles – it comes on when there's a reawakening of chickenpox virus that's already in your body. The virus can be reactivated because of a range of issues, including advancing age, medicine, illness or stress.

Anyone who has had chickenpox can get shingles. It's estimated that around 1 in 5 people who have had chickenpox go on to develop shingles.

Read more about the causes of shingles.

Who's most at risk of shingles?

People tend to get shingles more often as they get older, especially over the age of 70. And the older you are, the worse it can be. The shingles rash can be extremely painful, such that sufferers cannot even bear the feeling of their clothes touching the affected skin.

The pain of shingles can also linger long after the rash has disappeared, even for many years. This lingering pain is called post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN).

When is the best time to get second shingles shot?

What is the wait time between the first and second shingles shot?

How close together can you get shingles vaccine?

How many years does Shingrix last?