Should I Pay For A Vaccination? Quoted £109 Which Seems A Bit Steep....

[Mosaic]

I've had shingles teice in two years and following a lot of advice from various sources, I enquired at GPs about possibility of a vaccination. Response is that as I'm under 70, it can be mine for a mere £109. I'm interested to know if this is a standard charge, and if anyone else has faced similar decisions. It's like playing cards - 'stick or twist'?

[sandyRoe]

Does the fact that you've had it make you more susceptible to further outbreaks? It could be money well spent.

[Mosaic]

I think I must be Sandy - and I'll probably end up spending it. But if I can haggle it down I'd like to know how!

[Cloverjo]

It seems to me that a vaccine wouldn't help as you've had shingles before and have the live virus in your body already.
The NHS has a strange policy where you can have the vaccination free of charge if you're 70 or 79 but not in between.

[sandyRoe]

A bit of bare faced lying. If you said to your GP that things were a bit tight at the moment and you could only afford to pay £70 for the vaccination that might do the trick.

[Sqad]

Sorry, I disagree with Cloverjo.

Having the vaccine would reduce the chances of reinfection by at least 50%, but more importantly, the terrible pain of post herpetic neuralgia by 60%

It is worth having.

[boxtops]

Jo, you're right - they introduced it for 70-year-olds at first, as I understand it - then said the 79s could have it as people over 80 aren't deemed suitable for this vaccine. I don't understand why not the inbetweens, though!

[Cloverjo]

I stand corrected by Sqad. But why is ok for 79 year olds, yet not 80 year olds or people between 70 and 79?

[boxtops]

... and this is from the Boots website last year, so the cost is spot on

Private vaccination

The shingles jab is available privately for anyone over the age of 50. It is in very short supply though and would cost between £100 and £200.

[tamborine]

Am charged £40 per injection for yellow fever, tetanus & typhoid at private health clinic. Immunisation lasts 3y. Cost could have risen in last 5y?

[boxtops]

Jo, this is also from the Boots site

Above the age of 80 the vaccine effectiveness decreases substantially, so it has been decided (by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation - JCVI) that the optimal age to routinely offer protection to those at risk would be at 70 years of age, with a phased catch up programme for those aged 71 to 79 years.

The phasing doesn't seem to have kicked in yet!

[black_cat51]

£109 sounds on te cheap side to me. I would have if it i were you. There have been problems with the supply, so if you are finding someone who is offering it, take it.

[Sqad]

Jo.....

\\\\\I stand corrected by Sqad. But why is ok for 79 year olds, yet not 80 year olds or people between 70 and 79?\\\

80 years+....the efficiency falls dramatically.......roughly to 30%
70--79 years.....no idea. I thought that this group would be ideal.

[woofgang]

They are phasing catchup because of the cost of the vaccination

[slaney]

The cost of the vaccine does seem to be about the £100 mark if prescribed by your GP...
http://www.saga.co.uk/health/news/2012/february/shingles-vaccine-240.aspx

I remember mentioning this when you got your last attack and I was under the impression that vaccination did help in people suffering from recurrent shingles...
http://www.medicinenet.com/shingles_herpes_zoster/page6.htm#what_can_be_done_for_recurrent_shingles

...but on searching the literature today - as ever -it seems the jury may still be out .
From the The New England Journal of Medicine 2012
"Current practice guidelines are relatively unhelpful about whether immunocompetent adults who have had initial episodes of shingles should be vaccinated against recurrence. The CDC suggests that the vaccine (Zostavax) should be administered but admits that little evidence supports this recommendation"
http://www.jwatch.org/jw201208090000002/2012/08/09/does-zoster-vaccine-prevent-recurrent-shingles

And the American FDA..
"The effectiveness of Zostavax in preventing repeated episodes of shingles has not been demonstrated in clinical studies"

http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/QuestionsaboutVaccines/UCM070418

Sqad - have you seen any more up-to-date research?

[Sqad]

slaney....no, it would seem that studies are on going.

Cloverjo.........I think that your post should be taken more seriously.........perhaps we could meet in the middle. ;-)

[Sqad]

slaney

The Shingles Prevention Study, a pre-licensure study of 38,546 people, showed that herpes zoster vaccine reduced the incidence of herpes zoster by 51% and PHN by 66.5%.

http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/197/Supplement_2/S228.long

This is the report that i was quoting (I think) but i cannot find a date.

[Sqad]

slaney

\\\Sanofi Pasteur MSD, which produces the vaccine says that it may prevent shingles in half of the people that receive it. Of the other fifty percent, two thirds may feel less severe pain and discomfort. \\\

This is from your first link.

\\\\It has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of developing shingles by about 60%, as well as reducing the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia by approximately 66%.\\\

This is from your second link.

I can't comment on the NEJM as one has to subscribe.

All seem to agree that vaccination is significant.

[slaney]

Thanks Sqad. I've had a look and the paper confirms the fact that Zoster vaccine helps prevent shingles, as do many other sources. This is not in doubt.

But whether it helps people like Mosaic who have recurrent shingles without apparently developing immunity/sufficient protective antibodies is a different and specific question.
I am looking for papers which show the effectiveness of Zostavax vaccine in preventing repeated episodes of shingles.

[slaney]

And I can't get back in the NEJM either, but I did C&P the quote about lack of evidence before I was locked out.

[cupotee2]

So, having had a rather nasty dose of Shingles 5 years ago, and still suffering post hepatic pain, would the vaccine help with the pain as well as make a full blown attack less likely?

I have had it twice tho, the first time was 30 years prior to the second attack and no where near as bad.