How Effective Is The Shingles Vaccine
Very. Research has found that in people older than age 50, Shingrix reduces the risk of developing shingles by 97% . The vaccine isnt quite as effective in older adults among those 70 and older, Shingrix reduces the risk of developing shingles by 90% .
Along with significantly lowering your risk for shingles, Shingrix also reduces your risk for postherpetic neuralgiaa common chronic pain condition that stems from an outbreak of shingles blisters .
Shingrix For Prevention Of Shingles
Shingrix is a vaccine thats used to prevent shingles . Its approved for use in people:
- ages 50 years and older
- ages 18 years and older who have an increased risk of shingles
People with an increased risk of shingles include those with a weakened immune system, such as people with HIV.
Shingrix is not meant for use in preventing chickenpox .
Effectiveness for prevention of shingles
Shingrix has been found to be effective in helping to prevent shingles. For details on how the drug performed in clinical studies, see Shingrixs
state that Shingrix is the preferred vaccine for shingles. They recommend it for:
- all adults ages 50 years and older
- adults ages 18 to 50 years with a weakened immune system
What Is The Shingles Vaccine And How Does It Work
Vaccines are designed to cause beneficial immune-system changes. Those changes can help improve your immune systems response to a virus or bacteria.
In the case of Shingrix, those changes can help your immune system block or suppress the virus that causes shingles. The shingles vaccine does this in part by boosting the ability of white blood cellsalso known as T cellsto suppress the reactivated varicella-zoster virus that causes shingles .
Shingrix involves two shots in your upper arm. You should get these shots 26 months apart .
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Live Shingles Vaccine Vs Non
A live vaccine is one that contains a weakened form of a germ. Shingrix is not a live vaccine. Its an inactive vaccine, which is a vaccine thats made from a germ thats been killed.
Because Shingrix is inactive, more people can receive it. This includes people with a weakened immune system .
Zostavax was a shingles vaccine that was live.
People with weakened immune systems are typically advised against receiving live vaccines. This is because on very rare occasions, live vaccines can mutate back to the full-strength germ that causes a disease. If this happens, people with weakened immune systems would have a much higher risk for developing the disease that the vaccine is meant to prevent.
Medicare Drug Plans And The Shingles Vaccine
Unlike Medicare parts A and B, which are government insurance plans that cover hospital insurance and outpatient medical insurance, respectively, Medicare drug plans are private insurance policies developed by providers that have contracts with the federal government. You might purchase such a policy if you have Original Medicare or a Medigap plan and need prescription drug coverage.
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How Much Does Shingrix Cost With Insurance
Many insurance plans cover Shingrix, but your copay will depend on your insurance plan. Visit your local pharmacy to calculate your copay with insurance with help from a pharmacist. Keep in mind that you could pay our lowest price of $187.91 per 1, 50mcg/0.5ml Suspension Reconstituted with SingleCare. Just use the Shingrix coupon provided by SingleCare above. SingleCare prices may be even cheaper than your insurance.
Why Do You Need The Shingles Vaccine
In a word: pain. Shingles commonly appears as a rash, usually across one side of your chest, abdomen or face. What starts as itching or tingling becomes an extremely painful band of blisters. These usually scab over in seven to 10 days and clear up in two to four weeks.4
Shingles is most common among people over the age of 50, so the Centers for Disease Controls recommends the vaccine for anyone over that age.
People with a weak immune system are at even higher risk. Your immunity may be weakened if you:5
- Are under extreme stress.
Shingles must be active, meaning in the blister phase, to be contagious. You cannot transmit the virus before the blisters appear, nor once they crust over.6 Even if the virus is active, the risk of spreading VZV is low if you keep the shingles rash covered.7
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Whats The Cost Of The Shingles Vaccine
According to GlaxoSmithKline, manufacturer of Shingrix, the two-shot series costs people with Medicare Part D an average of $50 per shot.15
As of October 2021, discount-coupon company GoodRx lists Shingrix at around $160, which is about 23% off its reported average retail price of $206.73.16 It indicates that Medicare plans list Shingrix typically in Tier 3 of their formulary. 17
Ultimately, how much your vaccine costs depends on the Medicare prescription plan or Medicare Advantage plan you choose, the vaccine you get and the pharmacy or doctors office where you have it administered.
If the shingles vaccine cost is unaffordable for you, GlaxoSmithKline has a Patient Assistance Program GSK for You that may be able to help you with the cost.
How Safe Is Shingrix
studies showed that Shingrix was safe and effective.
There have been concerns about ingredients, such as thimerosal, that may be added to vaccines. Thimerosal is a kind of preservative that contains mercury. Its added then taken out of some vaccines to keep other germs and bacteria from growing. The concern arose when early research connected thimerosal to autism. This link has since been found to be false. Shingrix doesnt contain thimerosal.
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What Is The Shingrix Vaccine
Shingrix is the U.S. Food and Drug Administrationapproved vaccine aimed to prevent shingles infection in individuals older than 50 years and adults aged 18 years and older who are or who will be at increased risk of shingles due to a disease or therapy that can compromise the immunity.
The Herpes Zoster virus is the same virus that causes chickenpox in children. The virus may remain dormant in the persons nerve roots and become active when the immunity wanes .
The reactivated virus causes shingles or Herpes Zoster, a painful condition characterized by painful red blisters over the body, rash, and/or fever.
- A particular complication of shingles is postherpetic neuralgia , which persists for months after the infection subsides.
- It is characterized by extreme pain at the former site of rash and lesions.
- This pain may or may not respond to strong medications hence, a vaccine against shingles is required.
The Shingrix vaccine works by exposing the body to small doses of the inactive herpes virus. This stimulates the bodys immune system and helps the body to develop an immunity to herpes zoster or shingles.
Don’t Overpay: Advice For Medicare Patients
Three out of four Americans eligible for the shingles vaccination still havent gotten it, according to the CDC. Not surprisingly, a 2015 report from the National Vaccine Program found that one of the main reasons adults skip recommended vaccines is the cost.
If youve been putting off getting your shingles shot because you were quoted a high price, check your Part D plan. You may be able to get it for less.
Confusion about insurance coverage for the vaccine can sometimes result in patients paying more than they should, Avitzur says.
Dont delay, as the consequences of shingles can be devastating, advises Avitzur, a neurologist who has seen firsthand the painful effects of lingering nerve damage.
Your best bet may be to get the shot at a pharmacy in your drug plans network. Youll still need to get a prescription from your doctor, but the pharmacy will bill your insurance company and youll pay the lowest out-of-pocket costs available under your plan.
If you would like to get vaccinated at your doctors office, ask up front about the cost. Does your doctor charge more to administer the shot than your plan allows? If so, youll be on the hook for the difference. Also see whether the office will bill your Part D or Medicare Advantage plan directly or work with a pharmacy in your network to handle the billing.
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Why Is The Shingles Vaccine Recommended
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that healthy adults 50 years and older get two doses of Shingrix two to six months apart to prevent shingles and complications from the disease. The vaccine is typically administered to adults who are 50 years and older. There is no maximum age for getting Shingrix.
It is also given to those who have received a live zoster vaccine in the past.
The studies report that two doses of Shingrix will be more than 90 percent effective at preventing shingles and its complication called postherpetic neuralgia.
The vaccine protects you at least 85 percent of the time for the first four years after vaccination.
You should get Shingrix even if you have a history as follows:
- Already had shingles
What Is Shingrixs Cost Without Insurance Vs The Cost With Insurance
Your out-of-pocket cost for Shingrix will usually be higher without insurance than with insurance. Your cost will depend on what insurance you have and where you get your vaccine. If you choose to get your vaccine at a pharmacy, the pharmacist can let you know the price before you get each dose.
Shingrix only comes as a brand-name vaccine. Its not currently available in a generic version. A generic medication contains an exact copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication but tends to cost less.
Why is there such a difference in the cost of brand-name drugs vs. generic drugs?
Years of research and testing are needed to ensure that brand-name drugs are safe and effective. This testing can make the drugs expensive. The manufacturer of a brand-name drug can sell the drug for up to 20 years. After that, other drug manufacturers can create generic versions. This competition in the market can lead to lower costs for generics. And because generics have the same ingredients as brand-name drugs, they dont need to be studied again. This can also lead to lower generic costs.
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Medicare Part C Aka Medicare Advantage
Yep my favorite thing in the world is Medicare Advantage. It is simply far superior to Medicare, supplemental Medicare, or any other combination of plans. Medicare Advantage plans come at very little extra cost per month. Part C plans typically include prescription drug coverage, wellness benefits, vision, dental insurance, and more.
Medicare Advantage plans are sponsored by commercial health insurers like Cigna, BCBS, and Humana. They work just like employer sponsored health insurance and use most of the same terminology. Most of these come in the form of a PPO or HMO.
With a Medicare Advantage plan, the shingles vaccine will most likely be free.
If youre interested in learning more about Medicare Advantage and the changes happening in 2022, then you absolutely have to read my short guide available below:
How Much Is A Shingles Shot Under Medicare Part D
The good news is that the cost of a shingles vaccine, which comes in two timed doses, is subject to change in 2023.
Starting in 2023, the Inflation Reduction Act will eliminate all out-of-pocket costs for vaccines that the CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends for adults. That includes the shingles vaccine.
However, in 2022 you may be charged a copayment for the shingles vaccine. This varies from plan to plan. The average Part D copayment for vaccines was $47 in 2020, according to Avalere Health, a health care consulting firm.
If you havent yet met your plans annual Part D deductible, which can be up to $480 in 2022, you may have to pay more for the shot. Shingrix, a vaccine the Food and Drug Administration approved in 2017, runs around $212 per dose.
It replaced Zostavax in November 2020. But even if you received Zostavax before it was retired, the CDC recommends getting inoculated with Shingrix: two doses for adults 50 and older spaced two to six months apart.
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Where Can I Get The Shingles Vaccine
Most doctors offices, medical clinics, and other healthcare facilities, including commercial pharmacies, offer the shingles vaccine. You shouldnt have any trouble finding it .
If youre older than 50, or younger and your doctor recommends it, getting the shingles vaccine can protect you from a common and potentially serious illness.
How Can You Prevent Shingles
Vaccination is the ONLY way to reduce the risk of getting shingles. The CDC recommends that people aged 50 years and older get two doses of the Shingrix® shingles vaccine.
If you have questions about your shingles vaccination, you should talk with your Rite Aid Pharmacist or other health care professional.
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Who Should Get The Shingles Vaccine
The CDC recommends that all healthy adults 50 and older get Shingrix, even if youve had shingles in the past, arent sure if you ever had chickenpox, or have already had the older Zostavax shingles vaccine . Even if youve had the chickenpox vaccine, the CDC still recommends that you get the shingles vaccine .
Shingrix And Other Medications
Below are medications that can interact with Shingrix. These are not all the drugs that may interact with Shingrix.
Before taking Shingrix, be sure to tell your doctor and pharmacist about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. Also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you use. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions.
If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Immunosuppressive drugs such as prednisone
Taking Shingrix with drugs that suppress your immune system can cause problems with the way your body responds to Shingrix. Examples of immunosuppressive medications include:
- corticosteroids, such as:
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Shingrix.
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What Everyone Should Know About The Shingles Vaccine
Shingles vaccination is the only way to protect against shingles and postherpetic neuralgia , the most common complication from shingles.
CDC recommends that adults 50 years and older get two doses of the shingles vaccine called Shingrix to prevent shingles and the complications from the disease. Adults 19 years and older who have weakened immune systems because of disease or therapy should also get two doses of Shingrix, as they have a higher risk of getting shingles and related complications.
Your doctor or pharmacist can give you Shingrix as a shot in your upper arm.
Shingrix provides strong protection against shingles and PHN. In adults 50 years and older who have healthy immune systems, Shingrix is more than 90% effective at preventing shingles and PHN. Immunity stays strong for at least the first 7 years after vaccination. In adults with weakened immune systems, studies show that Shingrix is 68%-91% effective in preventing shingles, depending on the condition that affects the immune system.
What Parts Of Medicare Cover The Shingles Vaccine
Original Medicare Part A and Part B doesnt cover the shingles vaccine. However, there are other Medicare plans that may cover at least part of the costs. These include:
- Medicare Part C. Medicare Advantage is a plan you can buy through a private insurance company. It may offer additional benefits not covered by original Medicare, including some preventive services. Many Medicare Advantage plans include prescription drug coverage, which would cover the shingles vaccine.
- Medicare Part D. This is the prescription drug coverage portion of Medicare and typically covers commercially available vaccines. Medicare requires Part D plans to cover the shingles shot, but the amount it covers can be very different from plan to plan.
Making Sure Youre covered
There are a few steps you can take to make sure your shingles vaccine is covered if you have Medicare Advantage with drug coverage or Medicare Part D:
- If your doctor cant bill your plan directly, ask your doctor to coordinate with an in-network pharmacy. The pharmacy might be able to give you the vaccine and bill your plan directly.
- File your vaccine bill for reimbursement with your plan if you cant do either of the options above.
If you have to file for reimbursement, youll have to pay the full price of the shot when you get it. Your plan should reimburse you, but the amount covered will vary based on your plan and if the pharmacy was in your network.
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How Can You Save On The Cost Of The Shingles Vaccine
These five tips can help you pay less for a shingles vaccine.