How old are you @collage1 ?
^^58
why do you ask, @SeeksKnowledge?
I do wonder if the severity of the reaction to the new shingles shot correlates at all with your age, if you had the earlier shingles shot, or if you actually had shingles already.
I’m almost 60 and felt flu-like with both shots. Still, it wasn’t bad, and certainly not as bad as shingles. As long as you are psychologically prepared for a nice restful day in bed, it’s all good!
@collage1 i had read the younger you are the more severe your reaction. Just wondering if that holds true. I got the shot at 52 and was down all weekend from it both times.
My H was 77 when he had the Shingrex shots. I was 62. Both times he had a much worse reaction than I did. He had recovered from a painful but “mild” shingles infection some years prior.
He felt like he was ill, ran a low grade fever and ached all over. It took 34-72 hours for symptoms to recede for him.
I had a tender arm at the injection site both times. It too maybe 48 hours to stop hurting and until I could sleep on that arm again. I had had an extremely mild case of suspected shingles that was treated with antivirals immediately so never had a full blown case.
I don’t think I can buy the idea that age alone affects side effects. Literally, age is just a number. Now your health status? YES, I can imagine that might. Or just your body composition. But age alone? I know plenty of 60 year olds who are in much better shape and in better health than 50 year olds.
Got my first shot yesterday. I’m 60. Insurance paid in full. So far 21 hours out no side effects. I did take ibuprofen an hour before the shot and will keep it going for 48 hours. I also purposefully keep the arm active after the shot (I took a walk and yes that was me doing full circle arm motions around the house last night). 3 mile walk this morning. Hoping nothing new pops up!
But yeah, I planned it on a weekend that it wouldn’t interfere with any events if I was down and out.
I had my second Shingrix shot on Sunday. Monday my arm was in really bad pain, almost not usable. Tuesday the arm was better, still sore, but not bad, but I was blah and that’s continued today. Tonight I got a wild hair to take my temp and it was 99.5 which of course freaked me out a little with all the pandemic stuff going on, but I’m sure it’s a reaction to the shot.
I’m glad I got the shots, but I’m also glad they’re done.
My second injection is due between now and mid July. With everything going on, I have decided to wait until this summer. I have no idea if it will matter, but like you, I don’t want to confuse reactions with possible COVID 19.
My sister had a shingles outbreak over the weekend, I diagnosed her as soon as she showed me a photo, red blotch, but the beginnings of vesicles. I insisted she run to UC despite all the Covid19 stuff, she is nearly 70 and was dithering about having been ordered to isolate (CA) and she got the antivirals that afternoon. It’s getting better each day. She had just procrastinated getting the shot, which she regrets now.
I think we will see a lot of shingles cases this month. Stress is definitely a trigger and the world is very stressful right now.
I got my first shot last month, in my dominant arm. Deliberately moved my arm a lot that day. It hurt but not a lot. Itchy and blotchy the next day. Thanks to everyone here I knew not to be worried about that. My husband got his at the same time. My high deductible insurance covered it totally. Hubby’s medicare paid most of it, I think they charged him less than $50. (He has medigap insurance) We went in expecting for him to have to pay it all, so were pleasantly surprised.
That’s surprising. For DH, it was covered by his Part D drug plan and went towards deductible (the deductible is over $400) so we paid 100% of the cost of the shot.
BIL did not get the vaccine. Last week he came down with Shingles. It isn’t a severe case, but not mild, either. He dismisses vaccines, and doesn’t even get the flu vaccine. He isn’t against vaccines. They are just not for him. I think he is nuts. (So does his one of his best friends who is a doctor.)
My husband got his second shingles shot this week. If you got the first one, don’t delay getting the second one because of the pandemic. Doctors are definitely open to keep vaccinations on schedule.
My husband felt yucky again for a day after, including the spot being hot.
I have an appointment at the end of the month for my second shot. Given that things are easing up just a bit, I think I’ll go assuming they are open. Will likely be my first visit to an indoor place in almost two months!
I got the first Shingrix shot at the end of February. (No particular side effects except the sore arm.) So I think I should get the second one soon. But I don’t really want to go out…I got the first one at a Safeway pharmacy, and I have not actually been inside a regular grocery store for two months now! I’ve been buying things at a small farmers’ market and a small independent grocery store as well as using up all kinds of stuff from the back of the freezer!) I am trying to talk myself into going back early next week on the theory that things are fairly quiet here now, virus-wise, but once we start opening up more, it may get worse.
If it was me, I’d go soon, wear a mask and wash my hands after. The guidelines say preferably get the second dose 3-6 months after the first, but if you are in an area with few cases it might be safer now than in August. My second dose can’t be until mid-June.
You might feel safer getting the shot at a medical office - we have gotten ours at our GP’s office (I still need number two- have an appointment for it set up already later in June). Right now they have plenty in stock (unlike earlier this year and last year when supply was an issue). At the medical office when my husband got his last week, they were checking everybody’s temperature when entering the building and everybody had masks, etc. He was in and out quickly.