By Jamie Eske

Reviewed by Alana Biggers, MD, MPH

Shingles, or herpes zoster, is an infection caused by the chicken pox virus, Varicella zoster. The shingles vaccine is effective, and like most medications, it carries a risk of side effects. Adults who had chicken pox as children carry the dormant virus. The virus can reactivate to cause shingles in later life, but the vaccine can prevent this from occurring.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have certified two shingles vaccines as safe. However, some people have concerns about potential dangers and whether the vaccines are really effective.

In this article, we discuss the safety of shingles vaccines. We also provide information about the different types of vaccine and the short and long term side effects that they can cause.

Types of shingles vaccine

The FDA have approved two shingles vaccines for adults: the recombinant zoster vaccine (Shingrix) and the zoster virus vaccine (Zostavax).

Shingrix

Shingrix is the shingles vaccine that the medical community prefers.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) claim that Shingrix is over 90% effective at preventing shingles and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), a common complication that involves long term nerve pain.

A person gets the Shingrix vaccine in two doses. The CDC recommend waiting 2–6 months between the first and second doses.

With some exceptions, adults over 50 should get this vaccine, even if they have already had shingles or a Zostavax vaccine in the past.

Zostavax
Healthcare providers in the United States have administered Zostavax since 2006. This vaccine contains the live shingles virus, and it comes as a single dose.

According to the FDA, Zostavax may reduce the risk of shingles by about 50% in people aged 60 and older and by about 70% in people aged 50–59.

The CDC recommend Zostavax for adults aged 60 and older, with some exceptions.

A person with an allergy to any ingredient in the Shingrix vaccine may want to consider taking the Zostavax vaccine instead.