Featuring Stella Safo, MD, MPHReviewed by Alexandra Schwarz, MD | June 20, 2024

Shingles is caused by the reactivation of the herpes zoster virus that is dormant in your body after you’ve had the chickenpox. If you’ve had chickenpox, you already have the virus that causes shingles. Luckily, getting the shingles vaccine can reduce your risk of having the illness or complications from it.

What is Shingrix?

Shingrix is a new vaccine for shingles that received FDA approval in 2017. Previously, a different vaccine called Zostavax was available, but it has since been discontinued.

“Shingrix is just a better vaccine that individuals can now use [for their] prevention goals,” explains Stella Safo, MD, Primary Care Physician at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

Shingrix is what’s known as a recombinant vaccine. This means that it uses a piece of the herpes zoster virus to train the immune system to respond.

Shingrix is different from Zostavax, which was a live attenuated vaccine, meaning that it used a weakened version of the herpes zoster virus to trigger an immune response. In some rare cases, Zostavax would actually cause shingles to occur.

Should you get Shringrix if you’ve already had Zostavax?

Even if you’ve already received Zostavax, the CDC still recommends getting Shingrix. This is because some studies found that immunity against shingles from Zostavax wanes drastically after about a year. On the other hand, Shingrix may protect you for around 7 years or more.

“What we’re finding is that people who have gotten Zostavax and think they’re covered against shingles are actually still able to get shingles,” Safo says.

You can talk to a primary care doctor or pharmacist to learn about whether you’re eligible for the Shingrix vaccine.

References

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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.