Shingles Vaccination
A Zostavax (shingles) vaccination is available and funded from 65 years of age. If you were born before 1st April 1953, you only have until 31 DECEMBER 2021 to have this as a funded vaccine.
Patients born on/after 1st April 1953, you have no cutoff date for this funded vaccination.
General info on shingles:
Shingles is a painful, itchy skin rash that usually appears around your chest and back, but can also affect your face or legs. It occurs on one side of your body.
Symptoms range from mild to severe.
1 in 3 people will develop shingles in their lifetime. The risk increases with age and it is more common in older adults and people with weakened immune systems.
The most common serious complication is chronic nerve pain which can last for months, even years.
Shingles is caused by varicella-zoster virus (the same virus responsible for chickenpox).
Vaccination with the shingles vaccine can reduce your risk of getting shingles and the long-term pain it can cause.
Further information is available: https://www.immune.org.nz/diseases/herpes-zoster-shingles
https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/medicines/s/shingles-vaccine/
There are some contra-indications to having the vaccination, for example people having chemotherapy, on high doses of steroids, and if you have had a shingles outbreak in the past 12 months.
Please phone an appointment with a nurse, or to ask any questions.
You will need to wait 20 minutes after your vaccination.