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Shingles: Are you at risk?

You may have heard that if you have had chickenpox, you are at risk of getting shingles. But what are shingles and what are the other risks in developing them?
A surprising one million cases of shingles occur in the United States every year. Though it mostly affects people over the age of 40, it can develop in anyone, including children. One out of two people who live to age 85 will get a case of shingles.
Shingles (herpes zoster) is an outbreak of rash or blisters on the skin that is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox — the varicella-zoster virus.
Symptoms and stages of shingles:

  • Burning or tingling pain (which can be severe).
  • Numbness or itching, usually on one side of the body.
  • Two to three days after the pain begins, small bumps and strips of inflamed patches across the back, around the waist, and sometimes near the eye will appear.
  • Three to five days later, a rash or fluid-filled blisters (similar to chickenpox) appears on one side or area of the body.
  • Two to three weeks later the blisters fill with pus, break open, and crust over.
  • At week four to five, the crusts fall off, the pain and itching stop, and the blisters begin to heal (usually without scarring).

For some people the pain continues long after the blisters have cleared, due to a complication called postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).  PHN can last weeks, months, or even years and occurs in up to half of untreated people who are 60 years age or older.
Shingles treatment
Antiviral medicines such as acyclovir often help shorten the length and severity of shingles. Antiviral meds must be started as soon as possible to be effective, so if you think you or someone you love has shingles, call your doctor.
Other treatments such as using wet compresses, calamine lotion and colloidal oatmeal baths can help reduce pain and itching. Some over-the-counter pain medicine may help, but check with your doctor to be sure you are taking the right one.
Shingles prevention
While shingles is not contagious, meaning that the shingles virus cannot be transmitted, a person in the early stages of shingles before the blisters crust over can transmit the virus that causes chickenpox. Tips for prevention:

  • Keep the rash covered with non-stick bandages.
  • Do not touch or scratch the rash.
  • Wash your hands often to prevent the spread of the virus.
  • Avoid contact with pregnant women, infants, and people whose immune systems are compromised by other diseases.
  • Vaccination: Either the chickenpox vaccine or the shingles vaccine.
    • Chickenpox vaccine: Routinely given to children aged 12 to 18 months, the chickenpox vaccine is now also recommended for adults and older children who have never had chicken pox. It doesn’t provide 100 percent immunity, but it does considerably reduce the risk of complications and the severity of the disease.
    • Shingles vaccine: Experts recommend this vaccine be given to everyone over 50, whether or not they’ve had shingles before. So get vaccinated! There are exceptions regarding who should get the vaccine, including people with immunosuppressive diseases such as HIV or those receiving cancer treatments that can weaken their immune system, so again, make sure your doctor is aware of any other health conditions. We offer the shingles vaccine at both of our pharmacies.

 

August is National Immunization Awareness Month

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Most of us think immunizations are things we get as kids. By the time we are in high school, we’re done, right? However, it’s important to stay up to date with our vaccinations even throughout our adult lives.
To keep our community safe, Village Pharmacy and Rocky Point Pavilion Pharmacy are proudly participating in National Immunization Awareness Month. Shots can prevent serious diseases like the flu, measles, and pneumonia.  According to a recent report, vaccines will prevent about 322 million illnesses, 21 million hospitalizations, and 732,000 deaths among U.S. children born over the last 20 years, according to a recent report.
Over time, protection from vaccines can wear off and depending on your age, lifestyle, health and travel, you may be at risk for many preventable diseases, if you are not current with your immunizations.
All adults need the seasonal flu vaccine every year. We normally have the shots available at both of our stores starting in September. No appointment is necessary, so you can just walk in when it’s convenient and we can take care of you. The flu vaccine is especially important for people with chronic health conditions, pregnant women, and older adults. Everyone age 6 months and older needs to get a flu vaccine every year.
If you did not receive a Tdap vaccine as a child, it’s important to get one as an adult.This vaccine will protect you against pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus and diptheria (Td) . You should repeat the Td vaccine every 10 years. Pregnant women should get a Tdap vaccine with each pregnancy, preferably at 27-36 weeks.
Not only are vaccines important to keep you healthy and prevent missed work, they also save you money on medical bills. If you are a caregiver, or healthcare worker and work directly with patients you should stay up-to-date with your own vaccines, to help prevent spreading illnesses to those with a weaker immune system.
Healthcare workers should also get the Hepatitis B vaccine. If you don’t have documented evidence of a complete hepB vaccine series, or if you don’t have an up-to-date blood test that shows you are immune to hepatitis B, then you should get the 3-dose series (dose #1 now, #2 in 1 month, #3 approximately 5 months after #2). Get anti-HBs serologic tested 1–2 months after dose #3.
Were you born in 1957 or later?
If so, and you have not had the MMR (Measles, Mumps, & Rubella) vaccine, you should see your doctor and get two doses of MMR, four weeks apart
Have you ever had Chickenpox?
If you have not had chickenpox (Varicella), or haven’t had the vaccine for it, you should get two doses of varicella, four weeks apart.
Do you have a student heading off to college?
If you have a student heading off to college, and received the Meningococcal vaccine before their 16th birthday, then they should get a booster shot before leaving home and moving into a dorm. This is required by some colleges and varies by state.
Are you planning on traveling or living abroad?
If so, certain vaccinations are recommended at least 4-6 weeks before your trip. Planning ahead will give you enough time to build up immunity and give you the best protection from preventable diseases. Visit the CDC Travel Health site for information, recommendations and requirement for your specific location before traveling.
Not sure if you’re up-to-date with your immunizations?
The CDC has an online quiz to help you determine which vaccines you need as an adult. You can print out the results and take it to your doctor or healthcare professional and get the vaccines you may have missed or need.
All of our pharmacists are certified to administer vaccines.  We offer pneumonia and shingles vaccines daily and flu shots seasonally, and without a prescription.  We can administer any other vaccine with a prescription upon request.
All of our pharmacists are certified to give immunizations including:

  • Zostavax (shingles vaccine)
  • Pneumovax (pneumonia vaccine)
  • Prevnar 13 (pneumonia vaccine)
  • Influenza (flu vaccine)
  • Td (tetanus and diptheria vaccine)

There are many things we want to pass on to our loved ones, illness is not one of them

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You want to pass on family traditions, a grandmother’s quilt or dad’s love of books – but no one wants to pass on a serious illness. Take charge of your health and help protect those around you by asking about vaccines at your next doctor’s visit.
Vaccinating our children is commonplace in the United States. But few adults know they need vaccines other than flu vaccine, and even fewer are fully vaccinated. Are you one of the millions of adults not aware of the vaccines you need?
Each year, tens of thousands of adults needlessly suffer, are hospitalized, and even die as a result of diseases that could be prevented by vaccines. However, a recent national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey showed that most U.S. adults are not even aware that they need vaccines throughout their lives to protect against diseases like pertussis, hepatitis, shingles and pneumococcal disease.
Not only can vaccine-preventable diseases make you very sick, but if you get sick, you may risk spreading certain diseases to others. That’s a risk most of us do not want to take. Infants, older adults and people with weakened immune systems (like those undergoing cancer treatment) are especially vulnerable to infectious diseases. They are also more likely to have severe illness and complications if they do get sick. You can help protect your health and the health of your loved ones by getting your recommended vaccines.
The good news is that getting vaccinated is easier than you think. Adults can get vaccines at doctors’ offices, pharmacies, workplaces, health clinics and health departments.Most health insurance plans cover the cost of recommended vaccines – a call to your insurance provider can give you the details.
What vaccines do you need?
All adults should get:

  • Annual flu vaccine to protect against seasonal flu
  • Td/Tdap to protect against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis

Some additional vaccines you may need (depending on your age, health conditions and other factors) include:

  • Hepatitis A
  • Hepatitis B
  • Papillomavirus (HPV)
  • Meningococcal
  • Pneumococcal
  • Shingles

All adults should get an annual flu vaccine to protect against seasonal flu and Td/Tdap vaccine to protect against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. You may also need other vaccines based on your age, health conditions, occupation and other factors. If you are planning to travel outside of the U.S., check on any additional vaccines you may need. Some travel-related vaccines are part of a series or are needed months prior to your travel to be most effective, so be sure to plan ahead.
For more information about adult vaccines, visit: www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults.
Source: CDC
 

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