Shingles

Shingles vaccination

The shingles vaccine helps protect against shingles. It's recommended for people at higher risk from shingles, including all adults turning 65 (after 1 September 2023), those aged 70 to 79 and those aged 50 and over with a severely weakened immune system.

You'll be offered 2 doses of the vaccine. These are given between 6 and 12 months apart.

The shingles vaccine is expected to reduce your risk of getting shingles. If you do go on to have the disease, your symptoms may be milder and the illness shorter.

Shingles can be very painful and uncomfortable. Some people are left with pain lasting for years after the initial rash has healed. Shingles is also fatal for around 1 in 1,000 over-70s who develop it.

It's fine to have the shingles vaccine if you've already had shingles. The shingles vaccine works very well in people who have had shingles before and it will boost your immunity against further shingles attacks.

Who can have the shingles vaccination?

A shingles vaccine is available on the NHS for:

  • people who turned 65 on or after 1 September 2023
  • people aged 70 to 79
  • people aged 50 and over with a severely weakened immune system

For more information please see the following website:

Shingles - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

 

 



 
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