While many older people take the Zostavax shot to prevent shingles, some patients report developing shingles after being vaccinated.

What Is Shingles?

Shingles is the herpes zoster virus, which lays dormant in the nerve tissue near the brain and spinal cord. When activated, the virus produces a blistering rash on the skin, usually on one side of the body following a line of nerves. These blisters are extremely painful and prevent many people from wearing tight-fitting clothing around the line of blisters.

How Did I Get Herpes Zoster?

If you had the chickenpox, which is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, that virus can be reactivated and become shingles, also known as herpes zoster.

How Common Is Shingles?

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), one million or more cases of shingles are diagnosed in the U.S. every year. Shingles is more apt to affect people who are elderly, have autoimmune diseases, are undergoing cancer treatments or taking certain medications, such as steroids, for a long period of time.

According to HealthAging.org, scientists estimate 30 percent of the U.S. population will develop shingles at some point in their lives. Nearly half of all Americans who are 85 years old or older have had at least one bout of shingles.

How Effective Is Zostavax at Preventing Shingles?

The FDA says Zostavax is about 50 percent effective, based on a study of 38,000 people in the U.S. The vaccine was most effective in people between the ages of 60 to 69, who saw a 64 percent effectiveness rate.

What If I Am Vaccinated with Zostavax, But I Still Develop Shingles?

The FDA’s study found that people who developed shingles after being vaccinated endured shingles for an average of 20 days compared with those who received a placebo, whose shingles lasted about 22 days. The two groups appeared to suffer the same degree of pain.

How Can I Get Shingles After Being Vaccinated to Prevent the Virus?

Zostavax is a weakened, but live vaccine. Some people may actually develop shingles after getting Zostavax.

Can Zostavax Reduce Post Herpetic Neuralgia?

According to the FDA, in a population aged 70 and older who had developed shingles even though they had received Zostavax, the frequency of postherpetic neuralgia was reduced, but if someone develops that pain, Zostavax cannot treat it.

Postherpetic neuralgia is shingles pain that lingers long after the blisters have healed. The lingering pain is caused by damaged nerve fibers that send disproportionate messages of pain from the previously blistered areas of the skin to the brain, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Can I be Vaccinated Even if I Already Had Shingles?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says you can receive the shingles vaccine even if you have already had shingles because the vaccine can prevent future occurrences. 

Although no specific timeline has been mandated between having shingles and receiving the vaccine, the CDC says your shingles rash should be cleared prior to pursuing the vaccination. To be certain it’s safe to receive the vaccine, the CDC advises consulting with your healthcare provider.

Are Zostavax and Shingrix the Same Thing?

While both Zostavax by Merck and Shingrix by GlaxoSmithKline are both vaccines developed to prevent shingles, they do have important differences.

As stated earlier, Zostavax is a live vaccine that was FDA-approved in 2009. The live vaccine is not recommended for people who have a compromised immune system, such as those on steroids or other medications that suppress the immune system and people with diseases of the immune system, such as HIV or AIDS. Others who may have reduced immune system functioning include patients receiving radiation or chemotherapy for cancer and those fighting certain cancers, including leukemia or lymphoma.

Shingrix is an inactivated recombinant vaccine approved by the FDA in 2017. According to Singlecare.com, Shingrix is often used on patients with certain types of compromised immune systems because the vaccine is not live, which also lessens the chance of developing shingles after being vaccinated. To become properly vaccinated, Shingrix requires two injections given two to six months apart.

How Is the Zostavax Vaccine Given?

It is given as a shot, usually in the upper arm. You only need one injection.

Are Shingles Contagious?

Interestingly, according to the Mayo Clinic, a person who has shingles can give chickenpox to anyone who hasn’t been immunized against chickenpox or who has never had the chickenpox. The transmission generally occurs through direct contact with open shingles blisters. However, you cannot contract shingles from a person who has shingles.