New Improved Shingles Shot Available
Shingles can cause unrelenting nerve pain, itchy rashes and discomfort, yet millions of Americans who may be susceptible to the disease may not be aware of a newer preventative inoculation now available. If you are one of millions of Americans who contracted childhood chickenpox, the same virus lies dormant within your nervous system, ready to pounce whenever the immune system is weakened by stress, medication, trauma or disease. One-third of Americans eventually get shingles, but the risk rises with age, and by age 85 half of adults will have had at least one outbreak of shingles.
According to studies, 99 percent of Americans over the age of 40 have had chickenpox, and should consider getting the new Shingrix shot, which appears to be longer lasting than Zostavax, its predecessor, which starts to lose its protection after three years. Shingrix can protect 97 percent of people in their 50s and 60s and 91 percent of those in their 70s and 80s.
The affordable two-part vaccine is readily available for anyone over the age of 50 with a doctor's prescription, although most insurance carriers will not cover the cost for those younger than 60. Check with your local pharmacy to see if they administer the vaccine, or with your personal physician.
