HEALTH TOPICS 
Ask the doctors
Q. I've had the Zostavax vaccine to prevent shingles, but now I've heard there is a new vaccine that is supposed to be more effective. Should I get the new vaccine? And can I get it, since I already had the Zostavax shot?
A. You heard correctly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends that healthy adults over age 50 get two doses of a new vaccine called Shingrix, which was approved by the FDA in October 2017. Doses are given two to six months apart. Shingrix is said to be more than 90% effective against shingles and postherpetic neuralgia — a painful nerve condition that can arise as a shingles complication. This new vaccine is believed to be more effective than Zostavax, which has been used since 2006 and has been reported to reduce the risk of shingles by only 51%. Research has also shown that Zostavax loses its ability to prevent shingles after five years.
If you've ever had chickenpox, you are at risk for shingles, which is essentially a re-emergence of the virus that caused your chickenpox. The CDC says you should get vaccinated with Shingrix even if you aren't sure you've had chickenpox and if you've already had shingles. Although it's uncommon, you can get shingles more than once. In addition, you should get the Shingrix vaccine even if you already got the Zostavax vaccine — although you should wait at least eight weeks from the time you received Zostavax to get the Shingrix shot.
Most people who get Shingrix experience only mild side effects.
— by Hope Ricciotti, M.D., and Hye-Chun Hur, M.D., M.P.H.
Editors in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch
Image: © Highwaystarz-Photography | GettyImages
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.