Shingrix Vaccine: Part 2

[bzar]

Originally Posted by Vintage VFer

I'm feeling better today. Had a temp up to 99.6 last night . It didn't go higher. I still feel a bit warm and have a mild headache. I should be all better in a day or so.

Thank heavens that's done with!

i had the same reactions. in fact, i timed my shots to coincide with either a long holiday period or a weekend. good thing because i ended up laying in bed, feeling both fatigued and irritable.

hope you're feeling better and faster so that we can have our Alta back!

[Vintage VFer]

Originally Posted by bzar

i had the same reactions. in fact, i timed my shots to coincide with either a long holiday period or a weekend. good thing because i ended up laying in bed, feeling both fatigued and irritable.

hope you're feeling better and faster so that we can have our Alta back!

jeannine

[cataddict]

One note about the Shingrix vaccine. It's 90% effective, and some are "lucky" enough to be in the 10% group. I am one of those "lucky" ones right now. Woo hoo! I do know that I could be in a lot worse shape if I didn't get the vaccine. It's a relatively mild case, but still somewhat painful and uncomfortable and it's taking a long time to go away (I've had it now for 2-3 weeks I estimate---didn't think that's what it was at first and wasn't positive until my doctor confirmed it, since I had both shots and the odds were against it being shingles). So I'm still glad to have gotten the vaccine as I have a friend who was almost incapacitated by the itching and pain from shingles prior to the availability of any vaccine.

[Erica H.]

Originally Posted by cataddict

One note about the Shingrix vaccine. It's 90% effective, and some are "lucky" enough to be in the 10% group. I am one of those "lucky" ones right now. Woo hoo! I do know that I could be in a lot worse shape if I didn't get the vaccine. It's a relatively mild case, but still somewhat painful and uncomfortable and it's taking a long time to go away (I've had it now for 2-3 weeks I estimate---didn't think that's what it was at first and wasn't positive until my doctor confirmed it, since I had both shots and the odds were against it being shingles). So I'm still glad to have gotten the vaccine as I have a friend who was almost incapacitated by the itching and pain from shingles prior to the availability of any vaccine.

I didn't know that Shingrix wasn't effective for everyone. I'm so sorry you got it! Hope you are back to normal soon.

Erica

[DCW]

I forgot about it again.

I rarely go in stores. My pharmacy has a drive in window. I get groceries delivered.

I have a doc appt so I can get the RX again.

How does the pain of the shot compare to a tetanus shot?

Thanks for reminding me.

[cataddict]

Originally Posted by Erica H.

I didn't know that Shingrix wasn't effective for everyone. I'm so sorry you got it! Hope you are back to normal soon.

Erica

Thanks, Erica. I think the vaccine was effective, just not 100% preventive.

Just wanted folks to know that they can still get shingles even after having the Shingrix shots so they see their physician sooner than I did for an antiviral treatment if you have symptoms. I put it off since I had a regularly scheduled dr appointment and I didn't have all the classic signs. I had a red rash on my back, which initially appeared to be something like poison ivy/oak but I never got any blisters. I'm grateful I didn't have a horrendous case and my dr. attributes that to the Shingrix vaccine. It's getting better every day and I expect it to be gone in the next week.

[Vintage VFer]

Originally Posted by cataddict

One note about the Shingrix vaccine. It's 90% effective, and some are "lucky" enough to be in the 10% group. I am one of those "lucky" ones right now. Woo hoo! I do know that I could be in a lot worse shape if I didn't get the vaccine. It's a relatively mild case, but still somewhat painful and uncomfortable and it's taking a long time to go away (I've had it now for 2-3 weeks I estimate---didn't think that's what it was at first and wasn't positive until my doctor confirmed it, since I had both shots and the odds were against it being shingles). So I'm still glad to have gotten the vaccine as I have a friend who was almost incapacitated by the itching and pain from shingles prior to the availability of any vaccine.

That is sad to hear. I hope the pain and discomfort subside quickly! (((HUGS)))

Originally Posted by DCW

I forgot about it again.
I rarely go in stores. My pharmacy has a drive in window. I get groceries delivered.
I have a doc appt so I can get the RX again.
How does the pain of the shot compare to a tetanus shot?
Thanks for reminding me.

It is different for everyone and even between both shots. My first one, my arm was barely sore. The second shot my arm was sore, but not that bad. My DH had very sore arms both shots.

We didn't need prescriptions. I guess it depends on your insurance.

[toaster]

We are in update NY and are lucky to be able to get our vaccines at Wegmans, a grocery chain that originated here. We got dose #1 on June 6th, and at that time, they told us that they had just been starting to do vaccines again after a hiatus. However, I believe that the pharmacist told us they had continued the #2 dosages--although she said some people didn't want to come in for them. We got our 2nd one at exactly the 3-month mark earlier this month.

Did anyone have side effects? After the first dose, DH & I both had sore arms, much more so than with the flu shot. I felt a bit tired the next day but that was it, but he felt off (tired & achy) for about 3 days. Unfortunately, the second shot was much different for me! I woke up early the next morning to go to the bathroom, and I wound up feeling so nauseous and dizzy that I just stayed lying on the bathroom flu. I slept on and off all morning--was still feeling nauseous, dizzy if I got up, and hot/cold like with the flu--but I gradually started feeling better by the afternoon. (On the other hand, DH was again tired & achy, but probably not as bad as the first time.)

I don't even want to think about what the coronavirus vaccine might be like...we'll get our regular flu shot in a week or two, and luckily I've never had a bad reaction to that.

[toaster]

Originally Posted by DCW

How does the pain of the shot compare to a tetanus shot?

The shot itself is nothing--a brief stick and that's it (although I bled a little the 2nd time). I think arm soreness tends to be worse than with the flu shot, although as with the flu shot, if you move your arm around a lot after (arm circles, overhead, etc.), it helps.

[Carol K]

My husband and sister had no side effects with the Shingrix vaccine. My husband even got the measles vaccine with the second Shingrix, so if he had had any side effects, he wouldn't have known from which vaccine. I will be getting all of the Covid vaccines as soon as they are available and I don't care if I can't move my arms for a week or two after.