Time to talk about shingles again

ODESSA – Odessa Clinic manager Barbara Schlimmer has a couple of questions for the local population, “Are you 50 or older? Do you know somebody 50 or older?”

The reason she asks is because shingles is a painful rash illness that can lead to long-term nerve pain that, in some cases, can last years after the shingles rash disappears. This nerve pain can limit daily activity for many years afterward.

Shingles is not a one-time-only condition. It can re-occur throughout a lifetime. As we get older, the risk of shingles and its resulting complications increases. Therefore, vaccination is recommended for those aged 50 and older.

Shingrix is the name of a new vaccine to help prevent shingles. It is given to those aged 50 and older in a two-dose series and is more than 90-percent effective at preventing shingles and the resulting long-term nerve pain.

The second shot should be administered 2 to 6 months after the first. Doctors recommend that their patients get the Shingrix vaccine even if they have already been vaccinated using the previous vaccine Zostavax.

After vaccination, most people experience a sore arm. Many will also have redness and swelling at the injection site (more than 4” around the site for some people) and may feel tired. Other side effects, which typically resolve within 2-3 days, can include muscle pain, possible headache, fever, nausea and stomach pain. About one out of every six people who have had the Shingrix shot experience side effects that prevent them from doing regular activities like yard work or swimming. These kinds of side effects generally go away after 2-3 days if experienced at all. But the pain from shingles can last a lifetime. If side effects are experienced with the first dose, it is not necessarily a predictor of the effects from the second dose, Schlimmer says.

In an effort to help the community and save them the time and expense of driving out of town, Odessa Memorial Healthcare Center has arranged to hold a Shingrix Clinic at the Odessa Clinic. Sheena Starkel, a pharmacist at the Ephrata Safeway store, will provide the vaccines locally, as the Odessa Clinic does not carry it.

Those who would like to have their names put on the list to get the vaccine are asked to provide the Odessa Clinic with their names and insurance information. Insurance coverage will be verified prior to the date of the clinic. Any copay amount required by the insurance company will be collected at the time of service. Most commercial insurance coverage pays the entire cost of the vaccine, so it is highly recommended for those between the ages of 50 and 65.

Medicare Part D plans are putting the vaccine on the yearly deductible list, Schlimmer says, and the patient will have out-of-pocket expenses, which will be collected at the time of service. At least two days’ notice is needed, so that the correct amount of vaccine can be brought to Odessa the day of Shingrix Clinic and to allow time for insurance coverage to be checked so that patients will know if there is a cost to pay that day. The next “Shingrix Vaccine Clinic” will be held Wednesday, May 12. Those who would like to have the vaccine are asked to call the Odessa Clinic at 509-982-2614 no later than May 10.