Received both flu and 1st dose of Shingrix at the same time about 1 month ago. Sore arm for about 2 days, but no worse than past flu shots alone. Pocketbook hurts though, since neither Shingrix shots will be covered by Medicare or Drug Plan D due to hefty deductible.
I spent the morning at an urgent care with a friend who thought she was constipated. It turned out she had shingles with the same type of pain as constipation (3-9% of cases). Now I’m thinking I may have been exposed and apparently need the vaccine right away. We’ll see what my doctor advises.
You can’t catch shingles from someone else. If you haven’t had chicken pox, though, you could catch that.
@MaineLonghorn If you can’t catch shingles from someone, then why are folks with shingles not permitted to come to work in schools?
I believe, because they can transmit the virus to kids that can cause chicken pox.
People with shingles can give the virus to others who may get chicken pox from it if they have not had chicken pox or vaccine before.
My son and his best friend came down with chicken pox, maybe 5 or 6 years old. Passed it on to my dad, who got shingles. Although the vaccine had just come out for chicken pox, my son’s friend passed it along to his 3 younger siblings. Not fun.
If you haven’t had chicken pox before, you can get it from someone who has shingles. The virus has to be in your body already to get shingles. You do NOT get shingles from someone else.
When our middle son was 9 weeks old, he got RSV and was hospitalized for five days. His dad was diagnosed with shingles the same day. He couldn’t come anywhere near the hospital because someone could have caught chicken pox from him. 
We also had a three-year-old at home. DH had just been laid off and was looking for work. That was our Week from Hell.
Thanks, everyone. I am surprised you can’t get shingles from someone else. Where does it come from? It’s just lying dormant in my body waiting for what?
Yes, it requires some sort of trigger. Stress is thought to be a big one. My husband got shingles after getting laid off, while we had two very young children and were trying to build a house. Elderly people seem to be more susceptible to it, also - my grandmother had several attacks over the years.
^^ Yes, my husband got shingles while we were at Disney World with our five-year-old. He swears his case was triggered by standing in line for an hour for the “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride.
D and H separately had shingles. D was dealing with her chronic illness and stressed from school. H had his regular stress from work. They had their shingles months or years apart.
I had a few skin eruptions that we believe may have been shingles and immediately started an antiviral so never developed a full-blown case of shingles, thankfully.
After reading this thread, I made an appointment tomorrow for the vaccine. Scary!
@Rivet2000 and @“cincy gal” - your spouses got shingles after the vaccination? Is that common? did the doctor say anything as to why they weren’t protected?
we just got Shingrix yesterday; so hoping we don’t ever get shingles.
@bgbg4us - Yes, DH got shingles after vaccination. Shingrix is 90% effective, so DH fell in the unlucky 10%. His case was not at all painful, so maybe the vaccine helped in that regard.
My pharmacist said 97% effective. I hope that’s right!
Yes, I heard 97-98% effective. That’s why doctors are so excited about the vaccination.
90% effective. Source: shingrix.com
From CDC:
In adults 50 to 69 years old who got two doses, Shingrix was 97% effective in preventing shingles; among adults 70 years and older, Shingrix was 91% effective.
In adults 50 to 69 years old who got two doses, Shingrix was 91% effective in preventing PHN; among adults 70 years and older, Shingrix was 89% effective.
@MomofWildChild I’m confused. I guess I better get that second Shingrix shot before my 69th birthday…assuming it’s available!!