Q: I’m 65, and my doc says I’m overdue for my shingles vaccine. I hear it’s a tough one to tolerate, so I’ve been putting it off. Then she told me it also helps protect against stroke. How does that work? — Cam E., Memphis, Tennessee
A: First of all, the shingles vaccine is generally safe, even though some people get flulike symptoms (headache, fatigue), a skin rash and/or joint pain that can last a day or two. But the vaccine side effects are nothing compared with the notoriously painful short- and long-term consequences of a shingles attack (nerve pain that can last for months or years).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in three people in the U.S. will develop shingles in their lifetime and recommends that healthy adults 50 years and older get two doses of the shingles vaccine called Shingrix two to six months apart. It’s most effective in folks 66 to 79. Some folks with a compromised immune system shouldn’t get the vaccine.
Shingrix is preferred to the zoster vaccine live (Zostavax), in use since 2006. However, Zostavax can still be used by healthy adults 60 and older who are allergic to Shingrix or request immediate vaccination and Shingrix is unavailable. Vaccination is 90% effective at preventing shingles and even more effective at decreasing post-shingles nerve pain.
That should be reason enough for you to get the vaccination, but if you need more convincing, a CDC study found that it slashed the risk of stroke by 20% for folks under 80 and by 10% for those over 80. It does that by preventing you from getting shingles — which is highly inflammatory to your system and may cause disruptions in your veins and blood that promote clotting.
So if you’re still concerned about your reaction to the shot, talk it over with your doctor again and then weigh the pros and cons. We think you’ll agree that it is very beneficial in the long run.
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Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic.
