Shingles Vaccine (Zostavax) £145 per dose

Introduction 

Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a painful skin rash caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus (varicella-zoster virus) in people who have previously had chickenpox.
It begins with a burning sensation in the skin, followed by a rash of very painful fluid-filled blisters that can then burst and turn into sores before healing. Often an area on just one side of the body is affected, usually the chest but sometimes the head, face and eye.

The Illness 

The main symptom of shingles is pain, followed by a rash that develops into itchy blisters, similar in appearance to chickenpox. New blisters may appear for up to a week, but a few days after appearing they become yellowish in colour, flatten and dry out.
Scabs then form where the blisters were, which may leave some slight scarring.
The pain may be a constant, dull or burning sensation and its intensity can vary from mild to severe. You may have sharp stabbing pains from time to time, and the affected area of skin will usually be tender.
In some cases, shingles may cause some early symptoms that develop a few days before the painful rash first appears. These early symptoms can include:

• a headache 
• burning, tingling, numbness or itchiness of the skin in the affected area
• a feeling of being generally unwell
• a high temperature (fever)

An episode of shingles typically lasts around two to four weeks. It usually affects a specific area on one side of the body and doesn't cross over the midline of the body (an imaginary line running from between your eyes down past the belly button).
Any part of your body can be affected, including your face and eyes, but the chest and abdomen (tummy) are the most common areas.

Treatment 

Antiviral drugs can reduce the severity of the symptoms and shorten the duration of the illness.