Here's Why Younger People are Getting Shingles

This has been a wild time for me, but I am feeling much better.
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[@TanyaOfMars]

I have a degenerative joint disease that causes a ton of pain every day-and shingles was worse than that. I was not mentally prepared for just how awful it would be! Glad you’re feeling better Hank!

[@SylviaRustyFae]

@♜ᴛᴇʟᴇɢʀᴀᴍ+𝟏 𝟐 𝟔 𝟐 𝟗 𝟓 𝟓 𝟖 𝟗 𝟒 𝟎 Decepticon spotted!

[@pleh7019]

100%. People like us can be TOUGH and still, shingles can be truly horrible.

[@Nick-iu7ks]

Does gabapentin help?

[@karenryder6317]

@@Nick-iu7ks Yes it does, BUT....you have to build up to the maximum dose needed or it can sedate you big time. My hubby's post shingles neuralgia (PHN) was better but still painful when taking gabapentin. Finally one of our doctors said taking Tramadol combined with Gabapentin has a synergistic effect (1+1=3). That combo worked very well. He still has painful twinges in the area where the nerve was infected which he may have for the rest of his life. I in 3 seniors will get shingles if unvaccinated.

[@DneilB007]

When I was 49, I had a long conversation with my physician about shingles and we decided that I should get vaccinated the following year (in Canada, we also generally restrict the vaccine for people who are 50+). Six weeks later… yep, you guessed it. Within the span of one month, I had resolve a bunch of (public-facing) programming issues with work, work flights to Chicago, Phoenix, Vancouver BC, and we bought a new house. Resolved everything, moved into the house, prepared it for the birth of our second child, and then I took a week off to just settle in. 2-3 days into my vacation, and I got an itch on my right side, radiating from under the armpit to the mid sternum. And a little bit of a rash appeared. And then, one morning I rolled over and someone had lit a fire on the actual bones of my rib cage, across my collarbone, and up to the base of my neck. The skin was rashy, but the pain was incredible. Before my (then-) current employment, I had been a chef, so I am well aware of how 2nd degree burns hurt. It was similar; but more intense. We tried a few different pain management options; but ended up with hydrocodone. The sensation of the pain was still there, but I was too stoned to care overmuch about it. This was my life for about a month. One thing that Hank didn’t mention is that if you can identify it early in the flare-up, you can take antivirals to reduce the severity *and* duration of the flare-up, instead of just riding it out with high-intensity pain medicine and/or anticonvulsants. The other thing that Hank didn’t mention is the possibility of repeat flare-ups. Most people have just the one, but sometimes it can repeat itself. The real fun is called zoster sine herpete-basically shingles without the rash. That was how my second (and, hopefully, final) flare-up presented. Hank, best wishes. I hope that you are one of the 80% that don’t have to deal with any of the complications or recurrences of shingles. I know that you have a somewhat complicated immune system, which is what puts folks like us at a greater risk for ongoing issues from the virus. ✌️

[@WouldntULikeToKnow.]

Yikes! That sounds horrific!

[@AllegrettoATempo]

I actually didn't know most people don't have shingles recurrences, since my father and grandmother both had it pop up every 5-10 years. Crossing my fingers for both of us that were one and done 😬

[@averycockburn31]

Commiserations! When I got shingles my first thought was that I'd been bitten by a dozen spiders. The fatigue was also really bad for almost a month, maybe because I didn't get on meds until ~4 days after the first symptoms. Very early treatment really makes a difference.

[@SoloFaerie]

My mom was on antivirals for her last two years of her life, s she got shingles in her eye...And without the anti vitals it would constantly flare up. Yes it ruptured her cornea, yes she had two corneal transplants before she died.

[@teemusid]

My dad had shingles twice. The second time he recognized the symptoms and the treatment kept the symptoms mild.

[@ursirius4878]

As a child of the sixties when chicken pox came to the neighborhood our parents, unbeknownst to us, made sure we all got it by having us all play together. It was no big deal really. Back then the doctors wanted us to get it early because it's worse when you get older and children rarely had severe cases.

[@gr8dvd]

No, your parents were just sadistic …. kidding, same experience & same reasoning.

[@ruthe6017]

Actually, part of it is that if you catch it 1st when older it can be far more dangerous. Chicken pox while pregnant can lead to encephalitis, hepatitis, pneumonia and in rare cases death.

[@kbaccari88]

​@@gr8dvdbefore there was a vaccine, it wasn't "sadistic"

[@Another_taco.Yes_please]

Chicken pox party! That was the vaccine when I was young. We would all get it young and then be good for life. I remember seeing a picture of Brooke Shields and she has a scar on her face from scratching the pox. Mom tied our hands behind our backs if we couldn't stop scratching them. Years later my BF was exposed to a child with the pox and we found out he had never had it. Right scary as he was 50 years of age.

[@MollyBrown-f9i]

@@kbaccari88 it was a funny joke. Sorry you missed it

[@rachaelgregory7019]

Several of my family had shingles post Covid -19 vaccination. It is on the list of adverse reactions. It would be interesting to see the 2019 data compared to the 2021/22 data, post vaccine roll out.

[@christi776]

I had a lot of patients get shingles after their vaccine as well. I always wondered why it was not brought up more.

[@pinetree2473]

@@christi776 Because people become branded as anti-vax, spreaders of disinformation, right wing nut jobs, Nazis. You get the idea. You gotta stick with the official narrative. Anything else, even the truth, is a lie.

[@drshelockwho]

I had this!!! I developed Ramsey Hunt Syndrome as a result:(

[@moonpleiades99]

I think the uptick in v@@xs is what is causing it. It's obvious.

[@kf5034]

Yep I know a few people that got shingles after getting the covid vax. It's a common reaction, those who actually read the Prizer documents know it happened to thousands of people in trials and after when it was rolled out.

[@jennifer9047]

I got shingles ON MY HEAD when I was 35. (That was 2013) It sprung up after the death of my sister, and leaving my job, and moving internationally with my cat in tow. So _definitely_ brought on by stress. ⚠️ Shingles at 35 is rare, and facial shingles is rare _and_ dangerous. I had most of my lesions on my scalp and neck, but there were two on my face- one VERY close to my eye. My doctor told me that if my eye were to get infected, I could lose my sight in that eye! Plus, the migraines were excruciating!😫 I can't believe that the shingles vaccine STILL has not been made available to people under 50 who have already experienced a case of shingles, because we are much more likely to get it a second time. I swear to god, if I have to go through that again, I might just go to Washington with a full blown case and lobby all over everybody! 😡

[@seagirl1100]

My private doctor did a vaccine for shingles. I had to pay for it. ($200) cash. That was 15 years ago. My 40 year old son had it 6 months ago. We caught it in 24 hours thankfully it effected his forehead and quickly recovered

[@toomanyopinions8353]

You can ask your doctor to prescribe the vaccine! Not all clinics will fulfill it, but you will be able to find one that can.

[@FeScully]

I had shingles at 38. The first time I broke isolation during covid. That person was moving abroad the next day so I was sure they already had tested negative. Later in the day they called me and said they had tested positive for covid. I kind of freaked out living by myself, away from family. Ended up not having covid but a pretty resistant case of shingles

[@LisaG442]

My husband got shingles on his face also. It was hell for him

[@MarlenevT]

I had it in my late 20's early30's

[@lisahinton9682]

"Long chicken pox." I love it! And, I must say, that was a beautiful tribute to Evelyn Nicol at the end of the video. Thank you for this informative, interesting video.

[@ajs11201]

Indeed--great tribute to her. History is full of scientists who have not and may never get their rightful dues because they were/are women. I don't mean to start a long debate about that, but merely to say that I am truly delighted when a woman who might otherwise be forgotten or written off is instead respected and honored.

[@_maxgray]

The power to wipe out diseases for the next generation is an underappreciated aspect of vaccinations. People not that much younger than we are never had chickenpox and will never have shingles - that's beautiful!

[@WouldntULikeToKnow.]

Kinda very jealous of them. I got chickenpox and saw a family member struggle with shingles. I dread getting shingles too. Get vaccinated!

[@ilovebats10]

Yup! I'm 27 and never had it, neither did most of my friends.

[@fettuccinealfredo1]

I was in one of the first co-horts of girls to be vaccinated against HPV (now they vaccinate boys too). Since HPV is the number one cause of cervical cancer, cervical cancer rates are going to plummet in a few decades. It's amazing that we are effectively vaccinating against cancer!

[@gljames24]

That's me. I'm 22.

[@SylviaRustyFae]

On that note, theres a grt Exurb1a vid, which im prty sure Hank has seen actually, titled "Misery Was" that rly goes into grt depth on the concept of overcomin disease and even expandin our idea of what can be diseases to overcome. It always leaves me feelin hopeful for the future and proud of how far us hominids have come. Hank's vid reminded me of that vid ofc bcuz Hank made me think of how one day our encyclopedias will read "Shingles was" instd of is. And it is not anywhere near the first disease to have been wassed (was-ed) nor will it be the last by any measure. Its one more on an evergrowin list that will one day include things we dont think of as diseases today, like misery.

[@huntermorgan4201]

Fellow under-55s who have gotten shingles, hello, I offer some advice. I asked my doctor to prescribe the vaccine (Shingrix), and she did. The first pharmacy I took the script to refused to administer, but the one across the street was happy to. It was a huge relief to decrease my odds of shingles reactivating and causing PHN again. Best of luck ❤

[@johnsaksa4843]

Hank, one of your qualities that I much appreciate is your regular recognition of scientists, doctors, people, who are often unnoticed by history. Later on, in your timeline, you did the same regarding the doctors who made your chemo experience more successful and effective than it would have been 10 or 15 years ago. Whether it's by name or as a group, keep it up.

[@asnark7115]

He failed to recognize the two most important scientists in this conversation, though; Kariko and Weissman.

[@ParallaxView111]

What is the actual title of this video, "Here's Why Younger People are Getting Shingles." He doesn't actually explain this, but it's a live virus vaccine.

[@Andrea-xs4ny]

Glad you're doing better, Hank! To everyone out there: you do not want to ever get shingles. My father's case was diagnosed too late for an antiviral and he suffered from postherpetic (post-shingles) neuralgia (PHN) for the last few years of his life as he battled the last stages of Alzheimer's. So, he was not only lost in a cloud of dementia, but had to deal with unrelenting pain that he didn't understand. Such a cruel combination. As soon as I was old enough, I got the shingles vaccine.

[@NineInchTyrone]

Funny how making someone suffer is better than euthanasia

[@nissaballeza4806]

😿

[@FireChildSlytherin5]

my grandmother right now is suffering from the same fate as your father minus the Alzheimer's. my sister at age 27-28 got shingles shortly after having a baby. i tried to get the shingles vaccine but was told no because of my age. its in my list to do when i get 50

[@mothratemporalradio517]

May your father rest in peace. 🙏🕊️🌟 I'm sorry to hear he suffered like that. Human mortals, we are all so vulnerable. Take care, i wish you the best of health. 🍎✌️

[@mothratemporalradio517]

@@FireChildSlytherin5 could you sus out the shingles jab for your Gma? I get there's a timing factor if she's currently got a case. I tried to sort this for a rello and apparently they have been free of shingles ever since! which is a pretty excellent outcome given i heard it's unbearable. Sorry to hear you couldn't access a preventative even though you had it (interesting that it was brought on by the birth process - have heard of a few things like that in connection with immune system). Wishing your Gma and yourself the best of health. 🍎✌️

[@MarcosProjects]

Props for highlighting Evelyn Nicol, feel like this could easily have turned into (probably was in the past?) a Watson and Crick-type situation where Rosalind Franklin didn't get credit

[@lisajenny9]

++++++

[@IrisGlowingBlue]

++

[@maheshwariswarnima7644]

+++

[@Speilbilde]

+!

[@UchihaKat]

DON'T GET ME STARTED ON WATSON AND CRICK LITERALLY STEALING HER DATA TO FINISH THEIR THEORIES AND TAKING ALL TEH CREDIT AHHHHHH

[@tictacmaybeau6707]

Haha it’s fun to see this mentioned. When I was 13 (7 years ago) I developed shingles! As a kid I’d gotten the chickenpox vaccine but contracted chicken pox around a year later anyways. I think my age is rarer for shingles, and even amongst my peers now I’m the odd one out in terms of having contracted chickenpox. In my biology lecture of 200 or so our professor was discussing vaccines and asked how many of us had been vaccinated for chicken pox and we all raised our hands, then she asked how many of us had gotten chicken pox and I was the only person in that room with my hand up. It’s nice to see how far we’ve come 😅

[@deity752]

I was really young as well. I was 11 when I got shingles and had chickenpox too.

[@StrongmanTaylor]

I had shingles a couple years ago at age 36. I have also had chicken pox twice when I was five and six years old.

[@juliemiscera267]

My daughter got shingles right after she had her tonsils removed. She was in 6th or 7th grade. That was about 20 years ago.

[@pollypurree1834]

You can get shingles by having had chickenpox itself.

[@patpierce4854]

@@pollypurree1834I can verify this, as it happened to me.

[@johnohrmundt4842]

At the age of 29 in 2020 I got shingles and have since suffered from severe Post herpetic neuralgia. I wish this was talked about more.

[@nissaballeza4806]

I'm planning to look that up, but could you explain what that is?

[@zhenren9703]

I have heart issues a year later... it beats so fast while just sitting doing nothing.

[@andmicbro1]

I got shingles right around age 30. So I'm now a statistic too!

[@hairrus7278]

had you taken a flu shot, or the jab?

[@alexapuerta]

@@hairrus7278 Found the quack.

[@airierwitch4116]

Woah! I got shingles a few years ago (early twenties) and while it was pretty mild, my doctor was baffled because she had never seen it in anyone my age before! So cool to know that I probably got shingles so young specifically because most everyone born after me won’t.

[@Millenimorphose]

I had a friend who had shingles in high school.

[@Lytyrs2go]

Now I want to get the vaccine for it.

[@122gogreen]

I got shingles a year and a half ago, at age 24, due to being immunocompromised & constant existential pandemic stress, and it was by far the worst pain I’ve ever experienced in my life 😖 I also must have been one of the last cohorts of children to actually have chickenpox instead of getting the vaccine. So now I live in fear of getting shingles again because boy howdy was it horrible. I hope you are recovering well, Hank. I managed to also get post-shingles neuralgia which was worse than the shingles itself. Terrible disease!!

[@ninamarie177]

I had it in June 2020 when I was 21. At first I thought it was just another eczema rash but oh boy it was so much worse. I am really glad though that future generations won’t habe to go through that.

[@ChrisKlaene]

I know he said it was in short supply, but I wonder if they would make an exception in a case like yours and give you the vaccine. Hope you feel better. 👊 Edit: read some other comments and they said immunosuppressed folks can get the vaccine. That's awesome.

[@beccabrockway9990]

My husband and I both had shingles when we were 24 also. Mine was only 2 years ago, around my midsection, his was his eye and head (almost went blind) however I caught it around day 4 thanks to my husband who noticed my rash looked exactly like his. I had basically no pain from my shingles, just super itchy, unlike like my husband did. However we both still have phantom pain in those area.. I've honestly had period cramps worst than my phantom pains. Still both are not pleasant, I cant imagine the pain my husband goes through, he gets his phantom pain in his eyes and around his face.

[@beth8775]

I got chicken pox in kindergarten in 1991. I remember being annoyed when I heard about the vaccine a couple of years later that it hadn't been available for me. It still blows my mind that none of our kids have ever had it, and the oldest is in college.

[@reversepolarity8981]

Getting chicken pox (not the vax, the virus) is natural protection against shingles. I witnessed an older relative who never had chicken pox as a child come down with shingles... let me tell you. Be glad you had chicken pox because you'll never have to suffer through shingles :/

[@andmicbro1]

Yep same here! I was just a little too early to get the vaccine, I got the chicken pox first.

[@chihauhaun]

I didn't know there was a chicken pox vaccine until just now o.o my friend's mom threw a party when her child caught it so we all would catch it except she didn't ask my mum first... That went over well. I think it was around 97/98 but I also live in Canada so it might not have been available here

[@beth8775]

@@chihauhaun Chicken pox parties were common practice before the vaccine, but to not inform your parents that was what was going on is crazy.

[@SilverScaleMA]

I actually had a really weird case in that the first round of vaccinations I got (not the one that you usually get the chicken pox vaccine yet) I reacted to them incredibly badly. Long story short my parents were advised to only vaccinate me against the diseases that were very dangerous spaced out and to hold off on nonvital vaccinations until I was older. So I ended up contracting chickenpox when I was 3 (basically someone who refused to acknowledge that chickenpox was real sent her kid to a daycare and got several kids, including me, sick too). Still not a big issue but it is a pain to explain that no, I know I shouldn't get the chickenpox vaccine because I got chickenpox and don't want to get shingles (when I was younger that wasn't really that common of knowledge yet, my parents only knew because my uncle who is a doctor warned them about it being a real possibility). Getting vaccinated still sucks for me (I get really under the weather for about 2 weeks after getting any kind of vaccine and getting flu shots makes flu season *far* worse than not getting them at all) but at least most of them now *know* about the primary cause of shingles and don't berate me over refusing a vaccine that I don't need anymore and is far more likely to cause issues than prevent one for me. My brother on the other hand did get the chickenpox vaccine.

[@Holeysocks464]

In my early sixties, retired no stress I got shingles for three consecutive years. Always in the fall. After some research and review it was apparent I had a shingles outbreak within 2 to 4 weeks of my annual flu shot which I had only started getting at Sixty years old. I know correlation doesn’t prove causation but I haven’t had an outbreak since quitting my flu shot, and no flu either. Use this information as you wish.

[@strawgynxking5944]

Flu shots are poison, same as COVID shots

[@peterschmidt1453]

Interesting. My dad has had shingles for at least the last 5 years and he gets an annual flu shot too. I'll probably get the shingles shot after I do a bit of research. If it's been so bad for my Dad i'm probably prone too for a bad case of it.

[@Ironsja11]

Constantly hammering your natural immune system with big pharma's vaccine flavor of the week is probably causing more diseases than it stops. Then they can sell you drugs for your new disease.

[@mhawang8204]

Thinking about what Hank says in the video, it’s possible that the Shingle virus takes advantage when your immune system is developing defence against the attenuated virus in the flu vaccine. Good thing you haven’t gotten sick since quitting the shot, though.

[@lennierofthethirdfaneofchu7286]

Get the shingles vaccine. Then you can get the flu vaccine without triggering a shingles outbreak

[@ninamarie177]

Great to hear you’re better, I had shingles in June of 2020 and when I realised what it was it was already too late to take antiviral medication so I just had to sit it out and wait. I blame the stress of switching to online university and the uncertainty of the whole pandemic for the outbreak. I basically had an itchy, blistering rash on my right thigh, it took about a month to go away fully. I also had chickenpox twice, once when I was a few months old and apparently my immune system wasn’t developed enough to remember how to fight it so I got it again in kindergarten. It’s pretty wild to think that I am part of the last generation to get chickenpox because even my younger siblings are vaccinated against it.

[@malipena9751]

It's never too late to take Valacyclovir to stop shingles. My sister had the rash 2 weeks and then went to doctor. Valtrex stopped pain within 1 day. But me with my pharmacy degree knowing better...

[@adonnaprice9676]

What else is in it?

[@malipena9751]

Just the Valacyclovir. It stops the viral attack response from the nerve ganglion, which stops the nerve pain and rash. It's definitely a wonder drug.

[@BETTY-vc4pb]

IT IS IN THE POISON JOBS.....people pl WAKE UP....

[@donnies4693]

Thank you for recognizing Nicol’s work…very much well done..thank you! I appreciate that “shoutout” on sooo many levels! Epidemiology is interesting indeed-I’ve had chicken pox twice as a kid, and 2 months after beating the “Sophomore version” of Covid, I developed Shingles.. I am a few years shy of 50…go figure..🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️😳😬😌

[@WolfSeril107]

Thanks for turning this into a learning opportunity for us, Hank. I was in the camp that thought childhood chicken pox prevented you from getting shingles until I saw your tweet thread last week.

[@IrisGlowingBlue]

++

[@theresamariethompson3121]

They wanted us to get chicken pox as children because getting chicken pox for the first time as an adult would be more dangerous.

[@TheSightOfTheStars]

So glad to be one of the first generations to get the chickenpox vaccine! Hope your shingles gets better quickly, Hank!

[@TheGerm24]

I'm glad my kid was able to get the chickenpox vaccine. I unfortunately got chickenpox as a kid so I might get shingles later.

[@ninamarie177]

And I’m sad that I am part of (hopefully) the last generation that didn’t get vaccinated so I actually got chickenpox twice because I was really young the first time and my immune system wasn’t developed enough to fight it off when I got it again in kindergarten. I also managed to get shingles in 2020 when I was stressed out about the whole pandemic and university.

[@vlogbrothers]

This is ALL YOUR FAULT!!

[@silverandexact]

@@vlogbrothers the appropriate response, really 😂

[@ethan-loves]

Seconded :)

[@julieannelovesbooks]

I watched this video a couple of months ago. So when I started getting pain a couple of weeks ago I was like ‘what the hell is going on’. Now that same spot, to the left of my spine, is itchy. And this morning I saw the first signs of a rash. Immediately called my doc and she confirmed I should get checked out for shingles. Going in tomorrow morning. Hopefully it’s still early enough for antiviral meds. I knew about shingles, but I had never learned more about it. Thanks to your videos, Hank, I was able to respond quickly and accurately to whatever is going on in my body. Usually I would’ve just ignored the pain and itchiness, but I’m actually able to get better targeted care now. (If it actually turns out to be shingles). Thank you for all these wonderfully insightful videos!

[@Zaftique]

The hilarious part is that I remember chicken pox parties when i was a kid - if one kid came down with it at school, the parents would practically rub their kids all over that kid so that everyone just got it all at once and got it over with, and we'd take turns having sleepovers at different houses so it was just one parent at a time missing a whole day of work. Ah, the 80s.

[@jama211]

I had this in the late 90's also! The vaccine is recent

[@Nenriel]

It might not of been the worst idea. Chicken pox can be worse the older you are when you get it. I had a couple family members who didn't have it til adulthood and it was really severe for them.

[@silverandexact]

Also the 00s, unfortunately 😬

[@Zaftique]

CHICKEN POX PARTY IN THE COMMENTS WOOOOO EVERYONE GET YER JUICE BOXES AND LET'S WATCH PRINCESS BRIDE!

[@Zaftique]

@@Nenriel That was usually the wisdom behind it, yep. And then I find out about shingles and I'm like, "wait... i thought we did this to *prevent* that!" heh, oops

[@gollymarisa1503]

I got shingles back in 2019 and it was by far one of the worst experiences I have ever had. I cried myself to sleep multiple times during the week that I had it because the pain was so bad. Glad you’re doing better, Hank!

[@NorthLuckStar]

My partner got shingles in his left eye/head area after he got his 2nd Moderna vaccine. It was so stressful and scary because there was a chance that his vision could be affected. After the painful journey a year later, he is still dealing with neuralgia and his eyebrow hasn’t grown back in. He was 26 when he got shingles. Thank you for making this video to bring more awareness. I will never forget the adversity he faced with incredible itchiness, lack of sleep, unbearable pain my partner faced when I had to take care of him which will be commemorated with his eye scar like Zuko from ATLA.

[@kristenmarie9248]

That happened to a coworker! It was AWFUL. He missed a lot of work because of it. It was by his eye, and on his head.

[@Acetyl53]

Safe and effective, Just a coincidence. Get your boosters.

[@darmocat]

And now we know what was stressing Hanks body out: Cancer.

[@mporta970]

I had shingles at three days old due to my sister having chicken pox when I was born. (Ton of doctors studied the case this was back in the 90’s) I still have the scars from it but I am not allowed to get a chicken pox or shingle vaccine because every blood test since I have the antibodies from it. The headache of every school requiring blood work to prove I don’t need that vaccine was insane. Hopefully they change that standard with shingles being more common in younger folks now.

[@PlantsCatsTattoos]

Hey Hank! If you are on immune drugs, you can get the new shingles vax under 50, you just have to pay full price since insurance won't cover (use goodrx for the best price). I'm 40 and just finished the full course (2 doses). The new one doesn't have live aspects in it, so immune suppressed people can take it. Technology!!!

[@VelociraptorousRex]

People living with HIV, another group that can get the shingles vaccine.

[@falconerd343]

GoodRx doesn't do much for it unfortunately, takes it down by maybe $20. Still about $200 for each shot. Still worth every penny.

[@PlantsCatsTattoos]

@@falconerd343 it depends on your area, I got about $50 off each of mine, but even $20 off is better than $0 off!

[@V1per41]

I'm 38, on immune drugs, for the same disease as Hank, and my doc just wrote me a script and I was able to get the shingles vax for free at my local drug store. I wonder why everyone seems to be having a different experience with this. The vaccine is and has been approved for people down to 18 years of age for a while now. No real reason people shouldn't be able to get this pretty easily at this point.

[@falconerd343]

@@V1per41 it's true, if you have a prescription just about any pharmacy can do it. And technically, as long as you attest that you are immunocompromised, the pharmacy's standing order should cover it. The issue is that many insurance companies just plain don't cover it under 50, at least without a prior auth, which is why a prescription from YOUR doctor (and the nurses able to do the PA paperwork run around) are important.

[@manderse12]

Wow! Hank, how is it that Vlogbrothers videos keep intersecting with my life--beyond the diffuse, general way that your topics typically resonate with me as a human, but here again, rather, in a very personal--kind of spooky--way? I caught shingles in the middle of a career change in the spring of 2015--and, inconveniently, just as my third round of grad school was starting. And I've been living with the aftershocks ever since. Typically, a shingles rash in healthy adults will last several weeks and cause the sufferer intense pain in the area where the rash is. I was no exception. May 17th, 2015: my right side under my ribs started tingling in an irritating way in the middle of the night. Then, by the time I could see a doctor 36 hours later, tiny bumps of the rash started forming--which the doctor took one look at and said, "Oh, sorry to inform you, but that shingles." Me: "Say what?" This diagnosis came too late, apparently, for the antiviral drugs they gave me to intercept the spread of the rash. Which, by a few days later, had turned into a large, burning splotch of hellfire (that bizarrely resembled the Horsehead Nebula) spreading around from my spine on my back to the front of my torso just under my ribcage. While the rash healed completely by the first week of August, unfortunately, the neuropathy (nerve damage caused by the virus) has plagued me ever since. Over the course of the last seven years I've become intimately familiar with the vagaries of chronic pain, being visited by intense pain flares every evening--or if I'm unlucky much earlier in the day--such that my nervous system and brain pretty much get hijacked by increasingly zappy lightning bolts and burning solar flares of searing nastiness epicentering from my ribcage. "Why me?" I (unhelpfully) kept asking the cosmos? "Why this?" And why do some people heal from their shingles outbreak in a matter of weeks or months, suffering only slight patches of mildly-annoying tingling in the affected area, but I, year after year, continue to get these open and boiling Yosemite sulfur pools of evil erupting from my skin every night? ...Karma, perhaps? ...An ancestral debt I must pay off through careful regimens of stress management and nightly gabapentin? Ugh! In the thousands of hours that I've had to contemplate these mysteries, the only helpful conclusions I've come to are this: the pain is what it is--usually unavoidable, but always temporary; that this condition helps me to empathize in a much more visceral way with others whose chronic pain is much worse than mine, or who suffer much worser fates than mine; and that I've learned--and have much more to learn--about the ways my mind and body are intimately connected as I engage with and respond to living in the world today. Oddly, while I wouldn't choose to do it all over again, this journey is making me a better person. It's like a mystical third eye on my forehead, or a sixth sense, has been "gifted" to me over the years of this experience: now you can see the world through a whole new lens of understanding.... Well, that was long. Don't know if it will help you or your audience. I hope everyone realizes how important it is to get a shingles vaccine if they can. And don't put it off if you can. You don't want this, believe me!

[@melissaaldosari8024]

I’m sorry you have this terrible chronic pain. You’re a great writer!

[@Violet-qf8dr]

Geranium essential oil, rubbed topically on the skin, will help with the nerve pain.

[@MaryYoungblood-xy8vg]

I had chicken pox 3 times. My doctor refuses to give me Shingles vaccine early even though I am a very likely person to get shingles. I am 47.

[@HayTatsuko]

That bear scratch in the chair was bloody adorable. I'm glad you are feeling better, Hank! My boyfriend got shingles at 26 (!!), probably because his immune system was not in top form. It was a horrible three weeks for us both -- for him in enduring the pain, and for me in not being able to do much to make it better.

[@BlizzardSiya16]

I was in the same situation with my partner, the same age as yours. It was horrible having to watch him get worse and worse until he could barely even talk with the pain. I had to write up a little document for the doctors for the second time he went in because they did nothing the first time and he didn't have the ability to talk much at all, and I wanted to cover everything they might ask since I wasn't allowed to come. Thankfully(?) the rash had shown up by then so they gave him antivirals and some strong painkillers. I hope you didn't end up with a massive bill like we did!

[@HayTatsuko]

@@BlizzardSiya16 I'm so sorry to read you two had to go through something that awful! At the time, we were very poor and unable to seek non-emergency medical assistance. He made do as best he could with OTC painkillers and taking the utmost care not to let anything touch the affected part of his back, and more or less keeping to himself for most of the worst parts of his illness. Thanks for sharing your story.

[@inksplatter1]

So this brings up a recurring puzzlement of mine. I've never had chickenpox, and I vaguely remember as an older kid or young teen my doctor giving me a blood test to find out if I needed to be vaccinated. He told me my results came back with "a mutation that meant I couldn't get chickenpox." Alright, strange, but great. I've done googling about this many times now that I'm older and the internet readily available, but never found anything about this. So I'm wondering if my pediatrician was speaking out of his butt. This video reminds me that I should ask my current doctor about it.

[@petuniasevan]

I dunno.... but there are people who have a mutation that prevents them from getting malaria. But 2 copies of the mutation (gene) and they suffer from sickle cell anemia.

[@amazinggrace5692]

The terminology is odd. We look for immunity to a disease when we test to see if you need shots. That’s not genetic testing for mutations. However, I’m 64 and a retired pediatrician so perhaps there is something different these days. You should definitely talk with your current doctor. 💕🐝💕🇺🇸

[@yeboscrebo4451]

THey’re ALL talking out of their butt

[@alyssapowell1799]

I never had chickenpox either. My whole 2nd grade class including my best friend got chicken pox. My mom was terminally ill when I was in high school and got shingles which absolutely was the worse thing possible. So I was exposed over and over. I told my doctor that I hadn't had chickenpox and she did a titer test and confirmed I didn't have chicken pox. She wasn't sure how it was possible. I got the vaccine but I've always wondered if I have some weird immune system. I've never had COVID-19 either despite multiple times being exposed.

[@jasons5916]

You should definitely ask your doctor. He/She will probably advise you to get the vaccine, which would be smart because getting chickenpox as an adult can be much worse than getting it as a child. Even if it turns out you didn't need it, it won't hurt you. The varicella vaccine is attenuated chickenpox virus, so if you are immune it won't do anything.

[@adammillwardart7831]

I guess shingles is better than "died suddenly"

[@user-es7ui5mc1m]

I had chicken pox as a kid (born in 98 but not in the US) and I remember my aunt got shingles a couple years later and my mom explained it as she got "adult chickenpox" (I'm aware that doesn't really make sense because adults can also get chickenpox but I was like 8 so we'll let it slide). I didn't realize the two were related at the time, I just thought there was an illness like chickenpox that only affects adults.

[@morganbixby2562]

Born shortly after FDA approval of the vaccine and was vaccinated for chickenpox on the CDC dosing schedule back in the mid to late '90s, and never developed chicken pox. Got shingles on my face in 2014 (18years old), and on my back just this summer (26 years old). Because the chicken pox vaccine is an attenuated life virus vaccine, those who got the vaccine in childhood likely have the dormant virus in the nerves exactly like those who are infected in childhood, but it's a far weaker strain. Thus healthy people born after 93'-'94 are also getting milder cases as early as their teens. This was actually a hypothesis that my first pediatrician had and the cases seem to confirm that hypothesis though I'm sure there're actual immunologists that are doing research into this, antibiotics are my current research area of choice.

[@satoriglass]

Wow, what a coincidence! I’m also recovering from shingles and it’s TERRIBLE. It’s been a month and I’m still feeling nerve pain. Hope your recovery goes quicker than mine 😊

[@threestans9096]

not at all a coincidence. everyone is getting it cuz the covid vaccine wrecked their immune systems 🤦‍♂️

[@fredericapanon207]

I would suggest supplementing with a good Stress vitamin B complex (all the B vitamins). Not only would B12 help with the fatigue, but B vitamins are also good for the nervous system so they may help you recover a bit faster. And there is synergy by getting the various B vitamins together.

[@lorax2013]

“Global warming” seems to be causing a lot of people to get shingles lately.

[@simplyparticular]

Spouse has had 2 shingles twice, and now knows the warning signs of nerve pain in that area, and has prevented several outbreaks with: Vitamin C - high amounts. Vitamin B-Complex Vitamin E Lysine (and avoid foods high with Arginine during an outbreak) Turmeric Rest - really. And delegating stressful stuff. He pays someone to do his taxes now.

[@laattardo]

In 2011 I went to a trade school and all the girls under 28 who had received the chicken pox vac had shingles. This is highly unusual and made me wonder way back then.

[@char1595]

So I’m curious as to how this virus is entering your body🧐🧐🧐🧐HOW….THINK ABOUT IT

[@BenjaminIMeszaros]

So glad you’re on the mend. When I had shingles in my 20s, it felt like a rabid dog had latched its jaws onto my back for almost two weeks. It’s so terrible

[@JuniAku]

I woke up with a rash on my neck back in DECEMBER OF 2023. Went to the ER and the doc immediately said it was shingles and after talking about what was going on in my life they determined it was stressed that most likely triggered it. It’s August 2024 and I’m STILL suffering from residual nerve pain with a couple of small spots that are healing ever so slowly. I have a very high pain tolerance, but shingles has got to be the worst pain I’ve ever experienced in my life. I’d rather have the flu or Covid 10x over than shingles. It developed on the right side of my head from scalp to my neck. Imagine feeling electric fire coursing through every nerve on your head randomly or from the slightest touch. The residual nerve pain is even worse. It’s like someone is shocking the nerves on the right side of my ear every so often, I can barely lay on it without feeling mild pain. My freaking ear lobe shrank from all the rashes and scabs. The pain was so intense at times my vision would go completely white and all I could do was close my eyes shut while tears shed from the pain. If you can get the shingle shot I highly recommend it. Shingles are horrific. Edit: I also want to note there isn’t any pain medication that can even remotely make the pain tolerable.

[@drwindsurf]

You are such an amazing Science Communicator Hank. - I am definitely going to get the shingles vaccine.

[@sagewisdom09]

I had shingles twice in my 30s, the second time triggered by a COVID infection. I begged for a shingles vaccine and offered to pay out of pocket if my insurance wouldn’t cover it, but was denied due to my age.

[@noratheelk3729]

After I learned that you had shingles, I had a terrible dream where my whole family got it but this video explains it and thank you because I’m less afraid now

[@michaelmcchesney6645]

My mom came down with shingles a few years ago and it caused her to suffer horribly. My mother for some reason was unable to tolerate any opioid painkillers. She was given some in the hospital after a knee replacement and vomited so much and became so dehydrated that she got to spend an extra week in the hospital. She was also on blood thinners meaning she couldn't take an NSAID pain killer (ibuprofen, aspirin) leaving tylenol as the only pain killer she could take and because of potential liver toxicity could only take 3 per day. I had chicken pox as a child, but I made sure to get the shingles vaccines a few years ago (I'm 54). The silver lining to the back injury I sustained over a decade ago is that I have been taking Oxycodone for the last 9 years and I have them as an option if I develop shingles despite the vaccine. My mom passed away 3 years ago this month. The silver lining we didn't see until the following year is that she wasn't hospitalized during Covid where she would have been all alone and miserable. But I still miss her terribly. Hank, I'm glad you are feeling better. Try to cut down on the stress though (if possible of course).

[@kimberlyfamoly1963]

Everyone in my family got chicken pox. Great-grandparents, grand parents, parents and all of us cousins and siblings we are now in are 50-60's. Not a single one of us have ever got Shingles, that was because we have all been exposed to it from the generation's before. Also all my children got chicken pox. When I had it I was with my great great-grandparents the were in there 70's in the late 1970's.

[@Laura-kl7vi]

Shingles shot (Shingrex) effectiveness is in the high 90s until age 70, 91% after 70. The old vaccine was only in the 50s. This is such a blessing. Thank you, scientists.

[@paulkinzer7661]

When I heard you had shingles, Hank, my heart swelled for you. My dad got shingles when he was in his late 40s, before a shingles vaccine was available. He later told me that the pain was so bad, that he -- a devout Catholic -- for the only time in his life, thought about suicide. And then, a few years later, he got them again! As soon as the vaccine did become available, I started asking my Dr for it. I had to wait till I was 50, but I got it damn near on my birthday. Anyone over 50: get this vaccine!!!

[@harmonicaveronica]

A friend of mine got shingles a couple years ago. We're both in our 20s! She said it was awful and that she called her mom who is a nurse and her mom was like "this is really weird but I think you have shingles"

[@panka303]

I'm 24 and I just got shingles after a stressful period in my life.. It's been 3 weeks and man is it tough. The pain is incomparable to anything I've felt before.

[@courtneymoir2679]

I had shingles when I was 14 and HONESTLY pls the stress, the pain 😅

[@ivermec-tin666]

Chicken pox will never be eradicated, just as polio cannot be. Why? Because the jabs provoke shedding.

[@Jesse__H]

As a child I had the worst case of chickenpox my doctor had ever seen. They were _inside_ all of my orifices (yes, all of them). Fast forward to my mid-twenties circa 2008 and I have this weirdly painful rash on my back that won't go away. Finally I go to the doctor and when he looked at my back he actually laughed out loud 😐. He said he had never seen shingles on someone so young before. Luckily for me they were fairly mild and eventually went away on their own.

[@liri2758]

srry to hear abt your awful case of chickenpox. I had shingles pretty bad at age 11 had to go on medication for it to go away

[@silverandexact]

Oof. I also had really bad chicken pox as a child (in 2001, because my mom refused to get me vaccinated). Inside my mouth, nose, eyelids.. miserable. The only time I wasn't in excruciating pain was when I was taking oatmeal baths.

[@Jesse__H]

@@silverandexact Oh yeah! I remember weird baths my mom would put me in, I wonder if they were oatmeal baths like you had. I also remember only being able to, painfully, drink broth for sustenance as the pox were all in my mouth and down my throat 🥴

[@yensanlee2536]

@jesse h that was probably pine tar. That is what I got given to put in my bath. I had chicken pox pretty bad too. When I went to take my kids to get vaccinated the nurse warned me that I had to pay. I did not hesitate it is easily worth it!

[@christineday5233]

Someone PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE research the commonality between a shingles outbreak and cancer. I live in Florida, and I know so many people who got shingles and within a year was diagnosed with cancer. My hypothesis is that shingles is a canery in the coal mine when you already have cancer.

[@ruththedinosaur]

I had shingles as a 9-year-old (~17 years ago) years after having chicken pox, it was almost the only time I was ever sick as a kid, and I did not realise this was odd until years later lol

[@LaughingblueSu]

I wonder if the vaccine was faulty? That would make sense.

[@godzilla2k26]

Got Shingles when I turned 30, doctor cheerfully said the one good thing about getting it so young is I will definitely get it again.

[@karastired]

I'm 30 and even though I have a weak immune system and was exposed multiple times, I have never had chicken pox. I had all my vaccinations as a kid, so I guess the vax really, really worked. When I was 20, though, one of my good friends developed shingles. He was also vaccinated and had a good immune system but had chicken pox as a kid. So this video filled in a few questions I've had the last 10 years.

[@lawnmower11]

Shingles outbreaks occurring (from the dormant virus in the body). Something is suppressing the innate immune system, and shutting down certain aspects, as evidenced in a number of recent studies. More and more dormant viruses & illnesses will be/are on the rise. TB is predicted to be among them. Cancers, including previously long-gone cancers, set to come back, auto immune issues, all on the rise. What could be causing this over the past year?

[@gailots]

Exactly. What has been given to the population recently that could possibly account for this? Hmmm. Who is making astronomical amounts of money suppressing our immune system. People will wake up in a year or two. Too late.

[@xXTumblinXx]

My 22 yr old daughter got shingles after vaccination, which is rare that age. I didn't make the connection until she talked to a girl her age with the same experience, and until I called the public nurse who said that they were seeing a high incidence of shingles following vaccination, then I noticed that side effects that the CDC recognizes, like Gullian Barre and Bells Palsey, etc, have a relationship to herpes viruses such as: Mono, Chicken pox/shingles, etc. My mother in law, who suffered from cold sores/herpes, which lives in the nerve on the face, lost her hearing. Although there are benefits, vaccination seems to temporarily disable or occupy the immunity that keeps herpes viruses in check. At least Public health responded quickly and wisely by ramping up the shingles vaccine program and important advertising

[@sugarpuddin]

All of our terrific work on HIV taught us so much to help immunity. Sadly, no one seems to care!

[@gtgodbear6320]

I've never contracted chicken pox. My mom sent me to 5 different people to get it. I was around my grandmother when she had shingles outbreaks. But I never got any bumps.

[@wintersprite]

As a kid in the early 1990s, my brother got chicken pox and one of my friends and I got it the same time. Since my friend’s brother was a baby at the time, she got to stay over with us which made the experience better.

[@WhatsBliss]

I was born right before the chicken pox vaccine became available. However, I never caught. And the wilder thing is that no woman in my family (that is, no one in my matrilineal line) has ever had it as far as we know, nor shingles obviously. The only exception is my aunt who got sick with what appeared to be a mild cold, went to school, and everyone got sick with chicken pox. My grandparents looked all over and found exactly one tiny pox on her. She also happens to be immunocompromised. Were fairly certain our family has an inherited resistance to chicken pox.

[@kt1696]

We all know what's driving shingles, let's not pretend otherwise. Stay off the jabs any of them.

[@numb3r5ev3n]

I had shingles at age 32 in 2009 and it was the worst pain I have ever been in, including the time I hurt my back or accidentally cut off the tip of my thumb.

[@troylynnbrewster7315]

I learned a lot from your video. Major thanks for giving credit to Evelyn Nicole. Rest in power Queen.

[@yelsahblah3270]

I remember reading out a medical encyclopedia way back in middle school about rare diseases and Shingles was in there. It was pretty rare even in elderly adults according to that book. And now suddenly it isn't. Is it because they've gotten better at diagnosing it or is there something being given to people now to cause this issue? Curious.

[@kf5034]

It's a known side effect of the covid vaccine. Do some research. It's all in the Phizer trial documents.. and it's all reported on the openVears website. The info is there, people just don't pay attention because they blindly " trust the science."

[@BETTY-vc4pb]

Poison jobs..... RESEARCH IT.......ALL LIES OF THE ✡️PHARMA that they “protect”..... it’s the OPPOSITE!!!

[@ykook7000]

shingles has been around for years in younger people its not that rare

[@DeathnoteBB]

I feel like a medical issue is gonna be considered rare of it’s just discovered.

[@gabe5518]

He literally said in the video that shingles occurred in about 1/3 of adults with the chickenpox virus. It was probably that low because they were regularly reintroduced to the virus due to their children contracting it (i.e. a sort of natural antibody) but now that kids don’t really get chickenpox we might see an uptick in shingles.

[@Sweetiebeeknits]

I got shingles at 6, chicken pox at 16

[@mrwojna]

If he blames anything other than the thing responsible, I won’t be surprised. Let’s see where this goes. 😕

[@Thatsprettiemuchit]

I got shingles when I was 11 following a superfluous varicella vaccine dose 😮 back then, they didn’t think it was possible to get shingles without having had chickenpox, but I never had chickenpox

[@MK-ih6wp]

Way more shingles after the safe and effective rollout

[@shermanhofacker4428]

A couple years ago I developed a persistent, uncontrollable itching rash that covered most of my torso. I had had minor outbreaks of shingles that infrequently occurred on my lower back that were only slightly discomforting. The doctor kept after me to get the shingles vaccine, and I finally gave in. A couple days after the final dose I came down with extreme bowel problems, fever, chills and extreme weakness that gradually decreased over a three week period. I was miserable, but the itch that had me tape down mittens to prevent waking with bloody bloody sheets from unconscious scratching was gone. I assume the itching was caused by an atypical outbreak of shingles and the reaction after the vaccination was the reason the vaccination isn't given when the person is suffering through an active episode. Several months and the itching bumps have not returned. I would gladly go through the three weeks of problems to prevent that constant itching!

[@Mila-Rosa]

I got shingles at 23 and they tested me to HIV. It was negative but they were convinced that I had to have some sort of immune system issues.

[@digiprez77]

I was working on a big commercial video project with a looming deadline and my computer BSOD'd on me... Apparently Vista had issues with video files being stored on the desktop. Anyway, I spent three sleepless days and nights trying to fix the problem stressed out of my mind and ended up with a bad case of shingles. Total nightmare. I had Chicken Pox really bad when I was a kid, the doctor said that can be an indicator for shingles later on.

[@thisisjaylife]

Why I get suggested your videos when I’ve unsubscribed… also everyone is aware of the real reason why this is happening. God forbid we say it in the comments … the censorship is real.

[@andresolmos2643]

24 and just was diagnosed with shingles, wish I’d seen this video sooner.. rip

[@simplyparticular]

My spouse has had 2 bouts with shingles - herpes zoster ophthalmicus, or ophthalmic shingles, which has the added complication of potentially impacting vision if not caught soon enough. The first round dragged on for weeks with horrible sores and nerve pain. A mix of antivirals and supplements cut the second round much shorter. He now knows the warning signs of nerve pain in that area, and has prevented several outbreaks with: Vitamin C - high amounts. Vitamin B-Complex Vitamin E Lysine (and avoid foods high with Arginine during an outbreak) Turmeric Rest - really. And delegating stressful stuff. He pays someone to do his taxes now.

[@stevecannon4780]

They used to have " Chicken pox" parties. My mother took my sister and I to visit our cousins who had chicken pox. We got them (I think I was 4 at the time). I'm 65 now and made sure to get the varicella zoster shot for shingles. It's so easy to do for older folks to just get one jab and be safe for the rest of our lives. I also had measles as a kid, and diphtheria (whooping cough). Man, things were messed up in the late 50s and early 60s. We did get the best music ever in the 70s when I was in high school though.

[@allenslucher8555]

I had my first outbreak when I was 16…… born in ‘90….. of course I missed the window. My stress levels are dumb(I also get stomach ulcer, not from H. Pylori). I’ve had shingles in my eye…. But of course because I’m 32, NOBODY wants to vaccinate me….. it was, IN MY EYE…… screw “insurance”

[@cristinacoldebella9934]

Yeah I got shingles when I was like 22. I’m 32 now, haven’t had any problems since. I was really confused when it happened, thanks for touching on the subject.

[@sirrobertrobertson2270]

Sorry to hear about your first shingles that you scream for almost 6 months with rash peeling and burning. after another 6 months or more you get another type and shingles is inside. This is my 3 RD time with shingles and still hurts. Have a great day. Cheers.!

[@princessmariam7366]

I must appreciate Doctor Ani John on KZbin for helping me and my husband in getting rid of Shingles virus permanently after so many years in pain God sent you to save my family with your natural herbs and roots all thanks to you doctor you are a God sent keep saving lives sir I really appreciate all you have done for me and my family my God bless you richly sir🙏❤️,,

[@carylhalfwassen8555]

My middle aged neighbor got chicken pox and had to be hospitalized for several days.

[@owenhughes2911]

oh god have i been pronouncing varicella wrong my whole life??

[@gilly_axolotl]

I don't even remember how he pronounced but I'm assuming that it's incorrect to pronounce it like an Italian pasta 😅

[@TinaRN]

At 46, I had my 2 dose Shingrix series (Nov./Dec. 2022). Shingles is a nightmare, and I have enough without joining so many in suffering that excruciating nerve pain! My daughter was born in ‘95. She was vaccinated, and had a mild case at age 7.

[@emilybeauvais4164]

I got shingles on my face, in my mouth, eyes, and ears. It was the worst thing that I've gone through.

[@JennWanderer]

That's brutal! That's what my chicken pox did to me, the pox marks on my eyes and in my throat were SUPER disgusting, but I was lucky that my itchiness wasn't that bad.

[@wildbynature6779]

It's literally *because* we started vaccinating for a harmless childhood illness and now we aren't acquiring that natural and lifelong immunity in childhood, rather getting flawed/partial immunity from vaccines which results in breakthrough cases of shingles.

[@jjabbott7249]

I once got shingles on my eye. As in, on my eyelid, the skin around my eye, and my actual eye itself. Horrible experience. I'm lucky my sight wasn't permanently damaged.

[@womp6338]

Shingles is in your spinal cord so it knows what you are doing. It feels threatened by the lack of children with chicken pox

[@BoringTroublemaker]

I had shingles and pneumonia at the end of 2019 when I was 37. I had chickenpox as a kid and because I’m immune suppressed after my kidney transplant they assumed it was the pneumonia stressing my system that triggered the shingles. I can’t get vaccinated now due to the shingles vaccine not being approved for immune suppressed individuals (the old one is a live vaccine with is a big no no and the new one isn’t tested yet). So, I just hope I don’t get another major illness because that sucked ass the first time around and I don’t want to deal with it again.

[@clarion3204]

Holy moly, I got shingles in December 2020 at age 30, in no small part due to the stress of the pandemic, a break up, and changes at my job. I also wasn’t able the get the vaccine for it because I’m too young. Unfortunately, after using the last of my sick days to recover from the virus, my work used is as a flimsy excuse to fire me and hire on someone else for my position they could pay at a lower rate (they had already been trying to lower my pay for months by adjusting the “bonus structure” in a really shady way, which would effectively have me making $2-3 less dollars an hour, hence the stress at work, hence the shingles). I had no idea other young people were dealing with shingles outbreaks as well! Getting fired sucked and led to some really stressful months of my life and a bad period of mental health, I ended up finding a much better job that sent me on a positive career trajectory. Idk if I’d go as far as to say it was a “blessing in disguise”, but I’m glad I was able to turn a sour situation into something with a positive outcome.

[@Snow-Willow]

When I was a kid there were actually "chicken pox parties". Someone would get the chicken pox and the adults would then get kids together to get their kid to have it and get it over with. While it wasn't fun, I am glad I got chicken pox, I tend to prefer my body to fight off things on its own.

[@fridayidikwu5965]

Doctor Ani John I met you when I was in crisis and in the most inconvenient and disturbing manner. But I never regretted meeting you, thank you so much for sending your Herbal medicine,,

[@peterichard3925]

Herbal medicine from doctor Ani John on KZbin is so reliable, I’m permanently cured from Hives infection within 13days of usage,,,

[@marymcallister7963]

I'm 29 and just got shingles. I noticed the rash yesterday right when it appeared after my skin had felt painful for the past 3 or so day and i immediately got an appointment with my gp. I got it very early so i don't think the pain will get worse, thankfully, but it feels like a bad sunburn right now and itches sometimes

[@mechanicaldavid4827]

And this may be why post-Covid, we're seeing odd outbreaks of "childhood" diseases in adults.

[@Eddie-uf8oo]

I believe in vaccines, and I was going to get the Shingrex shingles vaccine, but one of the things mentioned as a possible side effect is an increase in incidence of Guillain-Barré. Knowing someone who has lived with Guillain-Barré I think I’ll take my chances with the painful rash, which sucks but goes away. And once you have the hombre it can always come back, and one of the things they can bring it back as a vaccine. I don’t want to lose my ability to get a vaccine for something more serious, like the next plague.

[@Eddie-uf8oo]

“The hombre”😂😂😂😂 thanks spellcheck, Gillan Barre

[@Eddie-uf8oo]

So close

[@chelseao.]

I got shingles at around age eight or nine, I remember doctors taking samples of my shingles and telling me they wanted to study them and they were working towards making a vaccine. I'm lucky that I haven't had any sort of reoccurrence since but I'm only 26 so there's still time.

[@princessmariam7366]

I must appreciate Doctor Ani John on KZbin for helping me and my husband in getting rid of Shingles virus permanently after so many years in pain God sent you to save my family with your natural herbs and roots all thanks to you doctor you are a God sent keep saving lives sir I really appreciate all you have done for me and my family my God bless you richly sir🙏❤️,,

[@vwgirl]

I got shingles on my chest right where I have a chicken pox scar. I healed super quick. Blisters in the AM, and by the time I got to the doctor in the afternoon, I already scabed. Had to call all my clients to make sure everyone was vaxed or had chicken pox. It sucked.

[@erskerbobbles]

JUST DON"T MENTION THE REAL CAUSE. It may scare the sheep. We, the informed, already know.

[@toniwhite7671]

49 and currently have singles on my forehead. It's very painful. I have 2 autoimmune diseases and I suppose that is why I have it now. 7 and 1/2 months away from getting the shot. The itching, burning, numbness and stabbing pain feels like it will never end.

[@untitled1464]

My mother got ocular shingles a decade ago and it was a nightmare seeing her in so much pain, but also because her pain was completely disregarded and could have been minimized. She was 47 and nearly lost her eyesight because the first doctor who saw her said she was simply having a cold. Yeah tell me how my mother losing her eyesight in her right eye and getting a random rash is just a fucking cold? The doctor told my mom to go home and rest, and of course it only got worse days later. We took her to the emergency room after she woke up screaming one night from the pain and the doctors there were able to finally and correctly diagnose her. I was a high school senior at the time and I remember being in the waiting room finishing my homework when one of the doctors told me “if you had brought your mother five minutes later she would have been blind.” This all could have been avoided if the first doctor didn’t ignore my mom, and the shingles in her right eye could have been treated through less painful means before it got worse. shingles is painful but getting it in your damn eye is the absolute worst pain. I just am so furious at our American healthcare system and I beg anyone if they suspect they have shingles to keep fighting for themselves. It’s very serious and nobody should have their pain dismissed.

[@helenrobinson985]

“Very effective” shingles vaccine? My sister in law, a psychiatrist, got the shingles vaccine when she turned 60. A year later she got the Covid vaccine, and ended up in the emergency room with a fever of 105 degrees, and “the worst case of shingles the hospital had ever seen.” I am older than her, have had neither vaccines, and curiously enough...no shingles, even though I’ve been under severe stress as my husband unsuccessfully fought, and died from lukemia. I do take a number of carefully researched supplements, eat organic, no gluten, etc. , and nebulized glutathione throughout the pandemic. Don’t rely on the system folks...take care of yourself and you won’t need their “help.”

[@princessmariam7366]

I must appreciate Doctor Ani John on KZbin for helping me and my husband in getting rid of Shingles virus permanently after so many years in pain God sent you to save my family with your natural herbs and roots all thanks to you doctor you are a God sent keep saving lives sir I really appreciate all you have done for me and my family my God bless you richly sir🙏❤️,,

[@erindsings]

My sister was born in 94 and I was born in 95- my sister got chicken pox and I didn’t! My mom said I was born at the right time!

[@davidmedlin8562]

As a sufferer if shingles hank it will tingle forever especially when stressed

[@fridayidikwu5965]

Doctor Ani John I met you when I was in crisis and in the most inconvenient and disturbing manner. But I never regretted meeting you, thank you so much for sending your Herbal medicine

[@imasuenosaro9839]

@@fridayidikwu5965 WOW😊, Doctor Ani John turned my life around with his supernatural Herbs cure remedies, I have been filled overwhelming joy😊🙏❤️

[@peterichard3925]

Herbal medicine from doctor Ani John on KZbin is so reliable, I’m permanently cured from Hives infection within 13days of usage,,