Shingles Contagious

Shingles is a painful skin rash, often with blisters. It is also called Herpes Zoster or just Zoster. A shingles rash usually appears on one side of the face or body and lasts from 2 to 4 weeks. Its main symptom is pain, which can be quite severe. Other symptoms of shingles can include fever, headache, chills, and upset stomach. Very rarely, a shingles infection can lead to pneumonia, hearing problems, blindness, brain inflammation (encephalitis), or death. For about one person in five, severe pain can continue even after the rash clears up. This is called post-herpetic neuralgia. Shingles is caused by the Varicella Zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. Only someone who has had chickenpox, or rarely, has gotten chickenpox vaccine, can get shingles. The virus stays in your body, and can cause shingles many years later. You can't catch shingles from another person with shingles. However, a person who has never had chickenpox (or chickenpox vaccine) could get chickenpox from someone with shingles. This is not very common. Shingles is far more common in people 50 and older than in younger people. It is also more common in people whose immune systems are weakened because of a disease such as cancer, or drugs such as steroids or chemotherapy. At least 1 million people a year in the United States get shingles. A vaccine for shingles was licensed in 2006. In clinical trials, the vaccine reduced the risk of shingles by 50%. It can also reduce pain in people who still get shingles after being vaccinated. A single dose of shingles vaccine is indicated for adults 60 years of age and older. A person should not get shingles vaccine who: Someone with a minor illness, such as a cold, may be vaccinated. But anyone with a moderate or severe illness should usually wait until they recover before getting the vaccine. This includes anyone with a temperature of 101.3 °F (38.5 °C) or higher. A vaccine, like any medicine, could possibly cause serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions. However, the risk of a vaccine causing serious harm, or death, is extremely small. No serious problems have been identified with shingles vaccine. Mild Problems: Like all vaccines, shingles vaccine is being closely monitored for unusual or severe problems. What should I look for? What should I do? Shingles (Zoster) Vaccine Information Statement. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 10/6/09. Last Revised - 11/01/2009 see less