Health Department announces now accepting Medicare Part D and shingles vaccine is now available

[January 31, 2015]  LINCOLN - Starting Monday February 2, 2015, the Logan County Department of Public Health will be accepting Medicare Part D. Medicare Part D, also called the Medicare prescription drug plan, is a United States federal-government program that covers vaccines. This plan is for those eligible for Medicare.

Zostavax will be available at the Health department beginning Monday February 2. Zostavax is not a treatment for Shingles. It is a vaccine you can get now to help reduce your risk of getting shingles in the future. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that appropriate adults 60 or older get vaccinated to help prevent shingles.

Zostavax works by helping your immune system keep the shingles virus in check. The sooner you get vaccinated, the better your chances of protecting yourself from shingles. Zostavax is given as a single shot. Zostavax cannot be used to treat the nerve pain that may follow shingles, once you have it.

In the U.S., one out of every three people will develop shingles during their lifetime. While anyone who's had chickenpox can get shingles, it most commonly occurs in people over age 60, along with people who have weakened immune systems.

If you have a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, it will pay for the vaccine itself and for your health care provider to give you the shot. You are only responsible for paying the plan's approved co-pay at the time you get vaccinated. Just to be safe, call your Part D drug plan ahead of time and ask what your co-pay is.

The Logan County Department of Public Health is open Monday-Friday from 7:30-4:30. Please call for appointment. Walk-in’s welcome.

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