Free shingles vaccine available
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Published: April 14, 2008
Elder Connection is running in larger print to accomodate our senior readers.
Today, I'd like to tell you about an opportunity to receive, free of charge, a vaccine to reduce your risk of getting shingles, also called herpes zoster.
What is shingles? Shingles is a painful skin rash, often with blisters. A shingles rash usually appears on one side of the face or body and lasts from two to four 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 a case of chickenpox — or gotten chickenpox vaccine — can get shingles. The virus stays in your body. It can reappear many years later to cause a case of shingles.
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.
The vaccine, which was licensed in 2006, prevented shingles in about half of people age 60 and older. It can also reduce the pain associated with shingles.
While most adults 60 and older are encouraged to get the vaccine, some people should not get a shingles vaccine including those who have had a life-threatening allergic reaction to gelatin, the antibiotic neomycin, or any other component of shingles vaccine or those who have a weakened immune system. Someone with a minor illness, such as a cold, may be vaccinated, but anyone who is moderately or severely ill should usually wait until he or she recovers.
The free vaccine is being offered by the Vermont Department of Health. If you live in Rutland County, call 786-5811 for an appointment; residents of Bennington County may call 447-3531. The Rutland district office is at the Asa Bloomer State Office Building and the Bennington district office is at 324 Main St. in Bennington.
Barbara Hanson is director of community resource development for the Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging. For information about senior services, call the Senior Helpline at 800-642-5119 or 786-5991 or visit www.svcoa.org.
Meals on wheels
Today: Pot roast with au jus, mashed potatoes with broccoli, rye bread, applesauce with cinnamon.
Tuesday: Roast pork, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, oatmeal bread, cake.
Wednesday: Macaroni and cheese, stewed tomatoes, Scandinavian vegetables, pumpernickel bread, orange gelatin with mandarin oranges.
Thursday: Shepherd's casserole with whole kernel corn, mashed potatoes, tossed salad with carrots, dressing, wheat bread, sugar cookies.
Friday: Ranch chicken breast, diced red O'Brien potatoes, beets, wheat bread, butterscotch pudding with cream.
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