Logan County Department of Public Health
Shingles is a real threat Vaccination available at the LCDPH

 

[April 04, 2023] 

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in the U.S., about one out of every three people will develop shingles during their lifetime. While anyone who has had chickenpox can get shingles, it most commonly occurs in people over age 60, or with people who have a weakened immune system. Shingles is a painful rash that develops on one side of the face or body. The rash typically consists of blisters that scab over in 7-10 days and the rash will usually clear up within 2-4 weeks. Other symptoms of shingles can include fever, headache, chills, or an upset stomach.

The Logan County Department of Public Health (LCDPH) offers the shingles vaccine which is given as a two-shot series separated by 2 to 6 months. The vaccine works by helping your immune system keep the shingles virus in check. The sooner you get vaccinated, the sooner you will improve your chances of protecting yourself from shingles. The vaccine is not a treatment for shingles and its accompanying symptoms such as nerve pain; however, it is a vaccine to help reduce your risk of getting shingles in the future.

The vaccine is recommended for healthy adults aged 50 and older. You should consider getting the shingles vaccine even if you have had shingles, received the Zoster vaccine live, or are not sure if you had chickenpox.

If you recently had shingles and the rash has gone away, you can receive the vaccine at any time to help prevent future occurrences of the disease.

Medicare Part D prescription drug plan will pay for the vaccine. To be safe, it is recommended to call LCDPH ahead of time to ask about any co-pay.

The LCDPH clinic is open Monday-Friday from 7:30 am-3:45 pm. If you have questions regarding the shingles vaccine, please call LCDPH at 217-735-2317. For additional information regarding health department services, log onto the LCDPH website at WWW.LCDPH.ORG.

[Don Cavi, MS, LEHP
Public Health Administrator
Logan County Department of Public Health]