Shingles Vaccination

[Bettypat]

I have had an e-mail from my doctor inviting me to have a shingles jab.
The offer is only to people aged 70, 78, and 79. I thought this was a bit weird and wondered why only these apparently random ages have been selected. Can anyone enlighten me. I wondered whether it was some sort of experiment they were doing.

[KARL]

This is an NHS/government peculiarity, shingles strikes at a wide range of ages from long before 70.

[Sqad]

I think that shingles tend to be more severe in the elderly, particularly the presence of a painful condition called post herpetic neuralgia which occurs in a small percentage of patients with shingles and can be debilitating.

[ethandron]

Betty, apparently there's only a limited amount of vaccine available at the moment. The vaccine becomes less effective for those over 80 so they're trying to get everyone approaching 80 vaccinated before they reach that cut off age.
It seems everyone will be offered the vaccine eventually when they reach 70, when there's enough vaccine available.
Or something like that.... ;)

[Sqad]

\\\aged 70, 78, and 79.\\

I have just read your OP again.......yes....very odd, unless it is a misprint.

[razza]

Yes I am expecting mine very shortly,I asked my doctor about it,he said practice will write and ask me to attend,apparently it is a short shelf life and quite expensive,so they get a batch then inform the patient,they hope to roll it out to all soon,so its my guess its expense that rations it,I did ask if he reccommended it,and he said definite yes

[Jomlett]

I had the shingles jab last week and was asked IF i'd had chickenpox (60 years ago!) and the jab could reduce, not prevent, shingles. Glad to say, no after effects...yet!

[Bettypat]

Thank you all for your answers and advice.

[pusskin]

I had my shigles jab at the beginning of the yr? No after effects so far.