I put off getting my shingles shot for over a year, but got it over with last week
The co-pay was $95
I guess it's better to get vaccine than the disease.

Lucky you!
We had to pay the full amount a few years ago - around $200 and some each.
Better than the shingles though.

My mom died of ovarian cancer. Prior to that she went through two rounds of chemo therapy. Her suppressed immunity brought out the shingles. She suffered with it on and off throughout the last couple of years. The second round of chemo made her really sick. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea alternated with severe constipation. She had thrush in her mouth. Sores all over the inside of her mouth. Also, the chemo hastened the osteoporosis. She ended up with fractures in her vertebrae. Some days she would scream when we had to move her around. Cellulitis put her in the hospital twice. The last month before she died, she could no longer eat because the cancer had spread through her body. She was a vibrant, active, healthy 160 pound woman before the cancer (not fat at all). She was a frail, wasted 90 pound woman when she died. So, you ask, why is Person telling me all of this?

The last week before she died, we were talking. I asked her what had brought her the most suffering. She said, without any hesitation at all, the shingles!

guys...we were informed by the doctor the vaccine will not prevent shingles, but if you do contract it, it will hopefully be a milder case of shorter duration

my mom and mil have both suffered through having shingles... and suffered is the appropriate term...even with large doses of neurontin (gabapentin), it still was agonizing

Oh, and keep in mind that shingles comes from the chicken pox. You're at risk if you've had the chicken pox or the chicken pox vaccine. The drug companies are quick to mention the former, but you will seldom here them mention the latter.

Part of my healthcare is through the VA...the shingles preventative was free...a second booster coming soon.
I had a very minor case of shingles many years ago.
I can remember my mother suffering through it...she had it all over her back, and never missed a day teaching...she said the pain would be the same no matter where she was, and she loved those kids!

I'm not even sure which one we had - one of the first ones, I think.
I suppose we should look into the booster, or the newer vaccination (if it's a different version).
Scary either way - to get it or not to get it.

So, you're screwed either way.

Mmmmmmmmm ... chicken.

My coworker just had shingles. Hers was annoying, but, not the sort of agony that I've heard tell of. She came to work, went about her regular life.

Why would one be at risk of shingles from the chicken pox vaccine?

I got my first shingles shot at Walgreen's. When I was supposed to get the second one they told my it wasn't available yet and may take up to six months. In six months I may have to start all over again. I'm starting to think this is some kind of money scam.

was not aware there was a "2nd shot" ... my dw got hers a few years ago at our doc's office ... no mention of a 2nd one at that time

Mine was done in one, around 4-5 years ago.

I got mine in 2013. Don't remember getting a 2nd shot.

My SIL had shingles. It was not a mild case, but it didn't have any lasting effects.

I just got over it. I took 1000 mg twice daily of lysine and 1000 mg 6-10 times daily of vitamin c. Like always I forgot or was too busy to keep it up a lot of the time. The days I took the pills I improved, slightly, the days I didnt, I stayed the same. Anecdotal, sure, but I repeated that experiment 20 times.

I had shingles three years ago. My case caused Bell's Palsy which affected the left side of my face. I had to wear a moisture chamber for my eye and have a permanent "dry eye" as a result of the palsy.

There are two different shingles vaccines. The older one, Zostavax, is a single shot. The newer one is called Shingrix and it requires a booster 2 to 6 months after the first shot. It was explained to me that the booster increases the efficacy of the vaccine from 80 to 95 percent.

Thank you. I will ask my doc.

I have had dose one of the newer two-dose series. I have heard, anecdotally, that shingles is nasty.

Immunization clinic. Free. You know where.