1 in 4 people will get shingles in their lifetime.

The complications can have a negative impact on your quality of life.

The first signs of shingles can be:
1. A tingling or painful feeling in an area of skin
2. A headache or feeling generally unwell

It can take up to 4 weeks for the shingles rash to heal.
Your skin can be painful for weeks after the rash has gone, but it usually gets better over time.

Shingles Vaccine

A shingles vaccine is available on the NHS for:

1. People who turned 65 on or after 1 September 2023
2. People aged 70 to 79 who have not yet been vaccinated
3. People aged 50 and over with a severely weakened immune system

The vaccine helps reduce your risk of getting shingles.

If you get shingles after being vaccinated, the symptoms can be much milder.
You can get shingles more than once, so it’s important to get vaccinated even if you’ve had shingles before.

Your GP surgery will be in contact with you if you are able to get this vaccine.