Quote:
Originally Posted by NotGolfer
Yes...get the shot (he can too when he's over this) but as another poster said it doesn't guarantee that you'll not get shingles. I have one friend who got the shot though, still got shingles but said she didn't hardly know she had them!! Any medical people out there who can explain any of this????
|
I am a pharmacist and perhaps I can help. If someone has ever had chickenpox (varicella), the virus remains in your nerves in a dormant state. If something causes you to have a decrease in what is called your "Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) specific immunity", then the virus reemerges as shingles. The Shingles vaccine Zostavax increases your VZV specific immunity. While it is still possible to get shingles after receiving the vaccine, you are far less likely to get it if you receive the vaccine (I think it was from 2 to 3 times less likely). Hope this helps.