About one in three Americans will have a bout with shingles during their lifetime. If you had the chickenpox (and about 99 percent of us before 1980 did), the virus is lying dormant inside you and can reappear as shingles.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the risk of getting shingles also increases with age.

Because of these factors, the CDC recommends that everyone 50 years of age and older get two doses of the vaccine Shingrix, which was introduced in 2018.

Despite the recommendation, many people are hesitant to receive vaccines. Stuben Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing would like to go over what the vaccine does and the potential side effects that many people want to shy away from.

The Effects of Shingles Can Linger for Years

For those of us who remember chickenpox, shingles can be far worse because of long-lasting effects. The CDC says that one out of every 10 cases results in nerve pain that lasts months or even years after the rash goes away.

Shingles around the eye can also lead to complications that include blindness. While rare, people have also contracted pneumonia, hearing problems, and brain inflammation from shingles.

Side Effects Can be Unpleasant, but are Temporary

The CDC says that Shingrix causes a strong response to your immune system, so some side effects can be expected. These include a sore arm, redness and swelling at the injection site, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, fever, and nausea. Around one in six people vaccinated reported side effects that prevented them from doing regular daily activities, but these unpleasant side effects went away in two to three days for most people.

It’s recommended that over-the-counter pain medication like ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) be taken in conjunction with the vaccine to help reduce side effects.

Be Sure to Get Two Doses of Shingrix

A second dose of Shingrix is necessary anywhere between two and six months after the initial dose. The CDC says if you have an unpleasant reaction to the first dose, it doesn’t mean that the same thing will happen with the second dose, so they advise against people not getting the second dose due to fearing the side effects.

Finally, the CDC urges that people who were even previously vaccinated against shingles still receive the Shingrix vaccine. And even if you already had shingles, you should get the vaccine because people can get the disease more than once.