Protecting yourself from shingles………………………

Shingles (herpes zoster) is an infection related to reactivation of the chickenpox virus. Many of us will have had chickenpox when we were young. Shingles isn’t like other infectious diseases because you cannot catch it from someone else. It can however be very painful if you are unfortunate to develop it.

There is now a vaccine that can reduce your risk of getting shingles or reduce the severity of its symptoms should you develop the disease.

You're eligible for the shingles vaccination if you're aged 70 or 78 years old.

In addition, anyone who was previously eligible (born on or after September 2 1942) but missed out on their shingles vaccination remains eligible until their 80th birthday.

When you're eligible, you can have the shingles vaccination at any time of year.

The shingles vaccine is not available on the NHS to anyone aged 80 and over because it seems to be less effective in this age group.

Your doctor may speak to you and suggest you should book a shingles vaccination at the same time as your usual flu jab (although you can have it anytime of the year you are eligible) which you can do through our reception staff.