Is It Safe To Take Another Shingles Vaccine Injection If I Have Taken Earlier?

Posted on Thu, 24 Jan 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 Answered on

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : I don't know whether I've had a shingles injection. Can I get another injection?

Answered by Dr. Sheeba Stephen (3 hours later)

Hello and welcome to Healthcare Magic. Thanks for your query.

It should be okay to take another Shingles vaccine injection as long as:
- You have not had an injection in the last 4 weeks, and
- You have not developed an allergic reaction to the vaccine (if you had taken it before).

Shingles vaccine is recommended for use in people 60 years old and older to prevent shingles. It is a single dose vaccine. Shingles is a severe skin rash which occurs due to the reactivation of the chicken pox virus. So, anyone who has been exposed to chicken pox before can have a risk of developing shingles. The older a person is, the more severe the effects of shingles typically are, so it is recommended that all adults 60 years old or older should get the shingles vaccine.

I hope I have answered your query.

Wish you all the best.

Regards,
Dr. Sheeba Stephen

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Mohammed Kappan