Shingles (Shingrix)

Following a large amount of media coverage, here’s a quick overview of the disease and vaccination options.

Shingles is a painful outbreak of blisters caused by the chickenpox virus. One in four people who have had chickenpox as a child will get shingles at some point in their lives. The risk of getting shingles increases with age and most cases are seen after the age of 50. One in five people over the age of 50 will have long-term (> 3 months) nerve pain that is difficult to treat.

Shingles can be easily prevented by vaccination. For people over 50 years of age, a Shingrix vaccination provides over 90 percent protection against shingles and the development of nerve pain for at least nine years. Several countries in Europe have introduced vaccination of the elderly against shingles in the vaccination programme.

Read more about the Shingrix vaccine, CityDoc pricing and the vaccination course here.

Author: Dr. Carsten Schade Larsen (Travel Medical Expert)