How to Manage Vaccine Side Effects for No-Fuss Shingles Vaccination

While most people who get the shingles vaccine don’t experience any significant side effects, it helps to know what might happen when you get your shot.

“Most individuals have nothing at all,” explains Stella Safo, MD, Primary Care Physician at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. “If they do experience something, [it’s usually] just some mild pain at the site of the injection.”

What are the most common side effects of the shingles vaccine?

Here are some of the possible side effects you may experience from getting the shingles vaccine:

• Soreness at the injection site

• Redness

• Swelling

• Fatigue

• Fever

• Upset stomach

What are tips to manage side effects from your shingles vaccination?

Safo says that while most people don’t need to change their schedules after they’ve had the shingles vaccine, she recommends that you don’t do anything vigorous like playing sports that day.

In addition, you can take acetaminophen (Tylenol) to deal with arm pain or fever resulting from the vaccine, as approved by your doctor. If you experience redness or swelling at the injection site, you can also apply ice to the area.

If you experience nausea after getting the shingles vaccine, it may help to avoid rich foods and alcohol for a while. You may want to stick to a bland diet such as the BRAT diet, which stands for bananas, rice, apples, and toast. This may help keep nausea from getting worse.

In some cases, it may be best to ask your doctor about medications to relieve side effects. “The symptoms shouldn’t be super intense, but if they are, your doctor can give a little bit of medicine to help with nausea, as well,” Safo says.

What are more serious reactions to the shingles vaccine?

A rare number of people may experience allergic reactions to the shingles vaccine. Some signs to look out for include:

• Difficulty breathing

• Itchiness

• Rash that covers your body and gets progressively worse

• Anaphylaxis (tongue swelling and throat closing)

If you experience symptoms of an allergic reaction, call your doctor right away. If your allergic reaction includes anaphylaxis, go to the nearest emergency department right away.

Another very rare complication of the shingles vaccines is called Guillain-Barré syndrome. Symptoms include weakness and difficulty moving or going to the bathroom.

“It’s not something that we see very often, but you should be aware of the signs so you can get help if you’re at all concerned,” says Safo.

Is the shingles vaccine safe?

Safo adds that, despite the possibilities of rare complications, shingles is a very safe vaccine. 

“[Shingles] is a condition that we don’t want individuals to get,” she says. “They can avoid it, and if you’re eligible, getting the vaccine from your doctor can keep you safe and protected.”

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Written by:

Marisa Taylor Karas

Marisa Taylor Karas is a freelance journalist based in Brooklyn who has covered health, gender, and technology for 15 years. She previously worked at The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, and Al Jazeera America, among other publications, and also served as managing editor of the Mellon Foundation in New York City.

Reviewed by:

Alexandra Schwarz, MD

Alexandra Schwarz, MD, is a board-eligible sleep medicine physician and a board-certified family medicine physician. She is a member of both the AASM and the ABFM.

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