Shingles Vaccinations
VNA of Southeast Michigan offers individual immunizations at its Oak Park office or on-site immunization clinics for your community organization. To schedule a clinic:

Shingles is a painful skin rash, often with blisters and usually appears on one side of the face or body, lasting one week to 10 days. Its main symptom is pain, which can be quite severe. Other symptoms of shingles can include fever, headache, chills and upset stomach. Very rarely, a shingles infection can lead to pneumonia, hearing problems, blindness, brain inflammation or death. Shingles is also called Herpes Zoster.

For about 1 person in 5, severe pain can continue even after the rash clears up. This is called post-herpetic neuralgia.

Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. Only someone who has had a case of the chickenpox or gotten chickenpox vaccine can get shingles. The virus stays in your body and can reappear many years later as shingles.

The Shingles Vaccine
Zostavax®, manufactured by Merck, is the first vaccine developed to help prevent shingles and reduce the pain associated with it.

Who should receive the Shingles vaccine?
A single does of shingles vaccine is indicated for adults 60 years of age and older.