Vaccination against shingles

What is shingles?

Behind this is a skin rash which, like chickenpox (varicella), is caused by varicella zoster viruses. Most adults over the age of 50 have experienced chickenpox in their lifetime. Viruses then nest in the body's nerve cells. When the immune system weakens — for example at an older age — the viruses can become active again.

They then cause a painful, one-sided, strip-shaped rash with blisters — shingles (zoster). The painful nerve infections can persist for a long time even after the rash subsides (post-herpetic neuralgia). If shingles occur on the face or eyes, corneal scarring can result in partial or complete blindness. Shingles most commonly affect older adults and people with a weakened immune system.

Shingles is less contagious than chickenpox. Only the liquid in the blisters of the rash is infectious. You can only get infected if you have neither had chickenpox disease nor are you vaccinated against chickenpox. An infection then initially causes chickenpox.

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Who and when should be vaccinated against shingles?

STIKO recommends vaccination against shingles (herpes zoster) for all people aged 60 and over.
There are also groups of people who may need vaccination.

The dead vaccine is vaccinated twice at intervals of at least 2 and a maximum of 6 months.
A booster vaccination is not yet recommended.

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How is the shingles vaccination carried out and what must be considered?

The shingles vaccine is a dead vaccine. The vaccination is done in your upper arm muscle.

After vaccination against shingles, the stimulation of the body's own immune system often causes redness or swelling at the injection site, which can also be painful. General symptoms such as headache, tiredness, fever or muscle pain may also occur in the first three days after vaccination. Itching at the injection site is also common. Lymph nodes occasionally swell or joints ache. Such vaccination reactions are usually only of short duration and subside after one to three days.
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What should I do if I think shingles vaccination is useful?

To check whether you have vaccination protection, simply arrange a Vaccination status check appointment in one of our avi practices and talk to our team of doctors. You will be given detailed advice as to whether you are already protected or whether you should receive a vaccination. The doctors will also check whether there are any other vaccinations that would be useful for you and will carry them out directly if necessary.