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Around one in five people will develop shingles in their lifetime, experiencing a painful rash. The first sign of infection can be tingling, painful skin, a headache and feeling generally unwell, and it can lead to complications, such as long-lasting pain, hearing loss or blindness.
This month actor Harrison Ford pulled out of presenting the Oscars after falling ill with shingles.
The shingles vaccine has traditionally been offered to people aged 70 to 79, but in September 2023 the programme was expanded to include those who had recently turned 65.
It's been causing confusion ever since, as the over 80s aren't being offered the vaccination and neither are those who turned 65 before September 2023, but haven't yet turned 70. So if you are aged between 66-and-a-half and 69-years-old then you aren't eligible at the moment.
In November 2024 the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended that the vaccination programme be expanded to include all those aged over 80.
But there is still no news on when that might happen. The Department of Health and Care told Saga Magazine that the Government will consider this advice and update in due course.
London-based GP Dr Jane Leonard said: “I think vaccines in general can only be a good thing, and when we look at trends in epidemiology, we might notice that infections such as shingles are occurring more frequently – and we know the effects can be dramatic,” she told Saga Magazine.
"As you get older, the risk of shingles increases, and the symptoms can be much worse. Because your physical resilience might not be the same as a younger person, your recovery might also be longer.
"The pain and rash can affect your quality of life, and once the initial symptoms subside, your levels of fatigue can be worse.”
In July 2024 research suggested people who received the newer version of the shingles vaccine, called “Shingrix”, appear to have a lower risk of dementia than people who were given an older shingles vaccine.
The study by the University of Oxford found those who had received the vaccine had a 17% reduction in the onset of dementia compared to those who received the older Zostavax form. The benefits were also greater for women than men.
Experts have called for more research to better understand the findings.
If you’ve already had chickenpox or shingles, it’s still important to come forward for the vaccine. One of the myths with shingles is that you can only get it once, but that’s not true.
Shingles happens in people who have previously been infected with chickenpox at any point in their lives - which is nearly everyone.
Chickenpox can sometimes be very mild, or you can get it when very young, so you might not even know if you've had it in the past. The virus lies dormant in your body and can develop into shingles without warning.
“It can affect you at any time, and if you’ve been under stress or have recently been unwell with something else, that can trigger shingles – and yes, you can get it more than once,” says Dr Leonard.
Find out more about the shingles vaccine from the NHS and if you’re not sure if you’re eligible, you can ask your GP or care team.
Further information is also available for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
If you are eligible for the vaccine you should be contacted by your GP, usually by letter, text message, phone or email. If you haven't received an invitation and you qualify, speak to your GP surgery.
You can normally have the shingles vaccine at the same time as other vaccines such as the flu, COVID-19 and pneumococcal vaccines. However if you are feeling unwell when you are due to have your jab, speak to your GP.
Any side effects from the vaccine should be mild – and they’ll pass quickly.
“Like any vaccine, you might have a fever or pain around the injection site. You might feel a little bit under the weather and tired, but that’s temporary, so rest and take paracetamol if you do get affected,” says Dr Leonard.
Shingles vaccination was first introduced to the UK in 2013 and, in the five years that followed, there were 45,000 fewer GP consultations and 1,840 fewer hospitalisations for shingles and post-herpetic neuralgia (the most common complication from infection, which causes burning pain in the skin once the rash has gone).
You only cannot have the vaccine if you've had a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to a previous dose of the vaccine, or an ingredient in the vaccine.
Talk to your GP if you have any concerns.
The newest shingles vaccine Shingrix was rolled out across the UK from 2023.
It is given in two doses, usually six to 12 months apart (unlike the previous vaccine, Zostavax, which was a one-dose vaccine).
Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency, encourages anyone who’s offered the vaccine to take it. “Shingles is an extremely painful condition, and complications can be long-lasting.
"Older people and those with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable, so I’d encourage all those newly eligible from today to come forward,” she says.
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