
This includes anyone with a temperature of 101.3☏ or higher. But anyone with a moderate or severe acute illness should usually wait until they recover before getting the vaccine. Someone with a minor acute illness, such as a cold, may be vaccinated. Women should not become pregnant until at least 4 weeks after getting shingles vaccine.

Tell your doctor if you have any severe allergies.

A person who has ever had a life-threatening or severe allergic reaction to gelatin, the antibiotic neomycin, or any other component of shingles vaccine.The vaccine is currently recommended for persons 60 years of age and older. The Shingles Prevention Study involved individuals age 60 years and older and found that Zostavax significantly reduced disease in this age group. Some people should not get shingles vaccine (Zostavax): To find doctor’s offices or pharmacies near you that offer the vaccine, visit Zostavax external icon or HealthMap Vaccine Finder external icon. Shingles vaccine is available in doctor’s offices and pharmacies. Talk with your healthcare provider if you have questions about shingles vaccine. Adults 50 through 59 years who have questions about shingles vaccine should discuss the risks and benefits with a healthcare provider. Protection from this shingles vaccine lasts about 5 years, so adults vaccinated before they are 60 years old might not be protected later in life when the risk for shingles and its complications are greatest. However, CDC does not have a recommendation for routine use of Zostavax in people 50 through 59 years old. Zostavax is approved by the Food and Drug Administration external icon for people aged 50 years and older. The decision on when to get vaccinated should be made with your healthcare provider. There is no specific length of time you must wait after having shingles before receiving shingles vaccine, but generally you should make sure the shingles rash has disappeared before getting vaccinated. Recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV, Shingrix), has been in use since 2017 and is recommended by ACIP as the preferred shingles vaccine.Įven if you have had shingles, you can still receive shingles vaccine to help prevent future occurrences of the disease. Zoster vaccine live (ZVL, Zostavax) has been in use since 2006. Two vaccines are licensed and recommended to prevent shingles in the U.S. There is no maximum age for getting shingles vaccine. Studies show that more than 99% of Americans aged 40 and older have had chickenpox, even if they don’t remember getting the disease.

They should get the vaccine whether or not they recall having had chickenpox, which is caused by the same virus as shingles. People 60 years of age or older should get shingles vaccine (Zostavax). It is given in one dose as a shot, and can be given in a doctor’s office or pharmacy. This vaccine reduces the risk of developing shingles by 51% and PHN by 67%. Zostavax (zoster vaccine live) was licensed by the FDA in 2006. For example, you could use Zostavax if a person is allergic to Shingrix, prefers Zostavax, or requests immediate vaccination and Shingrix is unavailable. Zostavax may still be used to prevent shingles in healthy adults 60 years and older. CDC recommends that people 60 years old and older get shingles vaccine (Zostavax®) to prevent shingles and PHN. Shingrix (recombinant zoster vaccine) is the preferred vaccine, over Zostavax® (zoster vaccine live), a shingles vaccine in use since 2006. Your risk of shingles and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) increases as you get older.
