Shingles

This is a disease that is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. Sometimes, when a person gets chickenpox, the virus will “hide” inside nerves long after the person’s chickenpox sores have healed, and it will reappear later as shingles. Only people who have had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine can get it. Shingles starts out as a painful rash in one part of the body, and it can cause problems such as nerve pain that can last for years. It cannot spread from person to person, but if someone has a shingles infection, they can spread chickenpox to someone who has never had chickenpox before.

Zostavax®
The Zostavax® vaccine can help prevent shingles or prevent the nerve pain that can develop from a shingles infection, from being very severe. It is recommended for people who are at least 60 years of age, and it is only given one time. Ask your Bartell Drugs pharmacist for more details.