| Shingles Vaccine |
| Written by Barbara Messner | |
What is Shingles?As you may already know, Shingles is a serious and extremely uncomfortable disease. If you have had Chickenpox anytime in your life, you are at risk for Shingles. Shingles is caused by the same virus, Varicella Zoster, as Chickenpox. Once you have Chickenpox, this virus stays in your body and lodges onto certain nerve roots. Shingles consists of a rash and/or blisters that itch, burn, and are painful.Most people have extreme pain with the disease. In their joints, as a headache or general aching feeling, this pain usually subsides with the healing of the rash and blisters, but some can suffer with the pain for months and even years after the rash and blisters have healed. About the VaccineLike most vaccines, the Shingles vaccination is not a complete preventative, but it reduces your chance of getting Shingles by close to fifty percent. It also helps to lesson symptoms if you do get the disease. Those are the advantages to the shot. There are very limited treatments for Shingles and even pain medications do not take all the pain and discomfort away. So this new vaccine is a step in the right direction.However, as with most medications, there are some serious reasons for not getting this vaccination. Number one just might be the cost, at $219.00 a shot; the cons need to be seriously evaluated. The prime target age for getting Shingles is sixty. At the time of this article, Medicare insurance does not cover the cost of the shot. Plan B does not cover this vaccination. Some Supplement insurances will cover a portion of the costs. Fed Blue Cross, the Federal government insurance plan, will pay for this vaccination for their members. If you can get past the cost, here are a few other things you need to consider. All vaccinations have possible side effects. For the Shingles vaccination those include that you make sure you don’t already have any mild or moderate illness before you get the shot. You can’t have a cold or the sniffles; you need to be in good overall health. If you are healthy, then the makers of the vaccine want you to consider these questions:
You have to answer the above or similar questions and sign a waiver before receiving the vaccine at most clinics. This vaccine is not for everyone, for instance if you have a weakened immune system you will not be eligible for this vaccine. Having had, or if you are currently fighting a disease such as AIDS, cancer with treatments of radiation or chemotherapy, or any other problem that has caused you to use or be using high dose steroids, will automatically disallow use of the vaccine. If you decide that the vaccination is for you, there are some things to watch for after receiving the shot. These seem to be the common problems to watch for after receiving any vaccination. Watch for redness, swelling, itching or soreness around the area of the vaccination. You may get a headache. The unusual moderate or severe things to look for are high fever, difficulty breathing, hoarseness, dizziness, and a rapid heartbeat, a bad rash such as hives or swelling of the throat. Talk To Your DoctorShingles can be a serious disease. There are complications that can arise and several treatment options to be considered. If Shingles runs in the family, talk to your doctor about the Shingles vaccination.For those of you interested in other methods of treatment, there are always alternative medicines and treatments. Just be sure to talk to qualified alternative professionals about the products and treatments you hear or read about. There are homeopathic creams that promise relief from the symptoms and pain, and the age old remedy of Acupuncture might be worth looking into. One thing for sure, we need to do all within our power to keep our immune systems operating at full power. This means going back to all those basics we are already aware of such as healthy eating, moderate exercise, deep breathing, and good amounts of sunshine, with sunscreen, of course. |
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