What is Shingles?
Shingles is a painful skin rash, often with blisters. It is also called Herpes Zoster. A shingles rash appears on one side of the face or body and lasts from 2 to 4 weeks. The main symptom is pain, which can be quite severe. Other symptoms of shingles can include fever, headache, chills, and upset stomach.
Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. Only someone who has had a case of chickenpox, or gotten the chickenpox vaccine (Varicella vaccine), can get shingles. The virus stays in the body and reappears many years later to cause a case of shingles.
You can't catch shingles from another person with shingles; however, a person who has never had chickenpox or the vaccine could get chickenpox from someone with shingles.
A single dose of shingles vaccine is recommended for adults 60 years of age or older.