I was much younger as well when I had shingles: like 51. It's just that the vaccine is most effective in those people aged 60 to 69. And of course there can be side effects as with any medication or vaccine. I choose not to have the vaccine.

If ever I should get them again, I would do the antiviral medicine which can be really effective if caught in time. It worked great for my cousin. That's the only thing she would do if she ever got them again she said. The bout I had was in my head and they never came out. It was agonizing and would be anyway for most people. Another cousin had shingles and it went into her eye. Not a good thing at all. She lost some vision.

I "think" the vaccine was only really tested in those aged 60 to 69.

My husband had the shingles for over a week, and the antivirals helped him late.

My son and I had gone upNorth to our summer place, and he was home still working. This was before cell phones etc.

He called the marina and told them to tell us he was not coming up yet...he was ill.

So we found a pay phone (not easy in those days, because vandals up there were trashing them frequently) and I called him back and when he told me what was going on...I had him go to the doctor ASAP. Turns out he had his in the typical waist upper torso presentation on the left, and also in his EAR.

The Zovirax worked well for him. He has had some pain in the spring in the back now and then, just like I get in my right arm, but for the most part the antiviral worked for him and he did NOT get it within 48-72 hrs.

You should really press for the drugs...they are not serious or toxic in most ways, and can help suppress the virus for you.
I really cannot imagine a doctor NOT giving them!

BTW the vaccine only has about a 50% success rate. Not a great number for exposure to a vaccine IMO. Both of us had our shingles long before 60. I was in my late 40's and he was in early 50's.

Here is a post about the shingles vaccine from my vaccine thread on
the PN subforum:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post845229-3.html
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/...accination.htm

I've also have known more people who had shingles in their 60's, 70's and later. Perhaps that is why the CDC decided on the vaccine for people in their 60's as well as it being most effective then. Also according to the article I posted, shingles is more severe in people 60 and over. I would guess that it can also be really severe in a person younger than that. It was for me.

Maybe it is just where we live, that shows the age range of patients for shingles. It is interesting to find on the site you gave me that Medicate Part D covers the shingles Vaccine. The CDC informed me with a phone call yes they did, however my health dept. didn't accept medicare part D. and told me to call the Medicare hot line. Yes they said, most plans cover it. So I called my Provider Humanna, and Yes it is covered. My point being the health dept. would not accept this at all. So now I am going to file a claim, as I was suppose to get coverage and did not. I had a script through my physician. I am curious now as to why the health dept. would not accept my insurance, though I presented it at the time of my injection. Very interesting....My plan stated that my doctor or PCP, or the pharmacy would also cover it. Neither my PCP or walgreens in my county anyway, did not have and would not have the vaccine to admister. that is why I wound up at the local health dept. Somewhere there is a glitch in the system. I am 60, no people I know that had the shingles were older than I am. All were in their 40's and 50's. I did this as a preventative measure in hopes that 50/50 works for me! ginnie

Apparently Medicare Part D covers it if, if, if. We know how that goes sometimes.

http://www.medicareinteractive.org/p...&slide_id=1616

http://www.medicareinteractive.org/p...&slide_id=1519

Yes Medicare Part D does cover it, so does my medicare plan. However my health dept. said no. So according to CDC, medicare and humana I have a right to put in a claim and get a refund for the money I spent. I will have to work for ths $179 but its worth it! Sometimes its good to research things like this. Glad you put up that site for us. It may just have gotten me that much refunded! thank you ginnie

mrsD, I'm glad they helped your husband.
The more I think about it the more it makes sense to take them even after the first few days. I remember my rash/blisters were active and appearing for ages, long after the first few days. If I ever get them again I'll make sure I get the medication even if it's "late".

Thanks for the information everyone, I'm a little discouraged by it all but it was very helpful.

I am still worried I have it in my eye, I had a few pains in the left one last night but i'm just not comfortable contacting the Dr again unless it falls out on my lap or something. I'm hoping if I do have it there it will be as mild as he rest of it has been and be ok, I know that isn't a very good additude.

I'm 64 and fairly healthy but am still in a relatively high risk group as I have COPD and am still on a little steroid. I looked on my insurance formulary and the vaccine was listed so I could have gotten it. My Dr works with a PA, the latter said it was shingles when I showed him the rash and I know it is, but it dawned on me the Dr did not actually say ""You have shingles"..he said "It looks like shingles" and "It could be shingles". I really don't know iif he didn't feel confident in making a firm DX as it wasn't very severe or if he was a little reluctant to do so since I could have been vaccinated.

I have a horrible relationship with my pulmonologist and I may have managed to alienate this guy too. I went in a few weeks ago because I was falling over when I tried to get out of bed in the morning. He Dxed Meniere''s Disease and wanted to put me on medicaton which I refused and he seemed a little offended. My inhalers had started making me very dizzy but he didn't seem to think that was important. I cut my dose of steroid inhaler back down and a couple of days later took my morning BP and discovered it was very low for me so started taking bp med in the AM after I was up instead of at night and I've been fine since then. I have no idea if I do have Menier's and the other things I mentioned affected it, if it more problems related to that stupid steroid, or if there is something entirely different occurring.

thanks again
judi

You could go to an urgent care.... get the medication that way.

How are you feeling today, Judi?

It's late night here so need to get to bed. There's some "rave" party going on in the street behind my home since midday would you believe so I'm up too late tonight. I'm so noise sensitive, it's been a thumping nightmare. Just wanted to ask how you're doing though.