Back in August, 2018, this thread went a bit off topic on shingles vaccination as one poster thought that his/her hearing loss had something to do with shingles vaccination. Several people, including me, chimed in on their experience with shingles vaccination. A couple folks recounted that the newer, more effective vaccine, Shingrix, was very painful, etc.
Just wanted to update those reports with my own experience. I had my first shot of Shingrix about 24 hours ago. I previously had Zostavax about 8 years ago. I guess I’m one of the lucky ones. I experienced no unusual discomfort at the site of injection in my arm or in my overall disposition, alertness, any feeling of fatigue, etc. A little pain with the injection itself and maximum soreness, like a moderate bruise, about 4 hours after the injection. Today I feel great.
I got my shot at Walmart. Still had to get on a list to get the injection. The pharmacist who injected me told me that Shingrix is still in short supply but claimed that CDC has decided that the advised two to six month time window to get the 2nd REQUIRED follow-up shot for effectiveness is not supercritical. She said that if you can’t meet that window, it will be OK: the CDC says (she claimed) that the important thing is just to get the 2nd shot. She said that I can go anywhere to get the second shot and my insurance will still cover it. For the insurance that I have (Medicare, Blue Cross/Blue Shield), there is zero cost to me.
CDC advice to professionals on administering Shingrix: Herpes Zoster Shingrix Vaccine Recommendations | Shingles | CDC
On the following page, under “Dose Schedule” (down a bit), CDC discusses timing but I have been unable to find the advice the pharmacist gave me on the CDC website with a cursory search: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for Use of Herpes Zoster Vaccines | MMWR
Just wanted to post to note the lack of any real pain with my Shingrix injection and the pharmacist’s claim that the CDC now views the most important thing is just to get the 2nd shot (a definite waiting period is required after the first shot, though).