Shingles!!! Get vaccinated before it is too late!

I don't know what medicare does or does not cover. Shingrix was approved in October, 2017, and has been terribly difficult to find.

Unfortunately it isn't cheap. You have to get two shots (one between 2 and 6 months after the other). Like everything, prices differ from one provider to the next. Some insurances only cover pharmacist provided injections.

As some have learned I have been heavily advocating it. You might find it interesting that I have not actually had it yet. I've been on a wait list, and just found out today that I'll get my first dose next Friday. I am psyched, but they made me double check with my insurance because they would charge over $900 for the two doses. The local pharmacy would charge me $155 (times 2 doses) if I used GoodRx.

So look around!

I often react badly to shots, so I was expecting the first shot of Shingrix to be rough. It did nothing more than give me some minor soreness at the injection site. The follow-up shot months later, on the other hand, put me down hard for a few days, for some odd, unexpected reason and was very painful at the site. I was expecting my body to react mildly like the first shot, so it caught me by surprise. But it was well worth it to get that protection!

jnk... wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 13, 2020 3:16 pm

I often react badly to shots, so I was expecting the first shot of Shingrix to be rough. It did nothing more than give me some minor soreness at the injection site. The follow-up shot months later, on the other hand, put me down hard for a few days, for some odd, unexpected reason and was very painful at the site. I was expecting my body to react mildly like the first shot, so it caught me by surprise. But it was well worth it to get that protection!

Would you like it if I said that's probably a good thing? I think it means the first shot started the immunity (as planned) and the reaction to the second shot suggests the immunity is working.

At least, that's what I will tell myself if it happens that way to me...

sptrout wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 13, 2020 2:36 pm

The side effects can be so bad that my 65 year old brother's PCP told him and his wife to hold off for a while (been nearly a year).

Sure. If either one of them gets shingles, it won't hurt the PCP.

kteague wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 12, 2020 11:48 pm

Last time I checked about 3 years ago a vaccine (no idea which one) would cost me $100 and was not covered by Medicare. Anybody had one recently and know if the cost or coverage has changed?

My wife and I got ours last year and it was covered by MediCare. We got ours at the Sam's Club pharmacy. We get our flue shot there every year.

jnk... wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 13, 2020 3:16 pm

I often react badly to shots, so I was expecting the first shot of Shingrix to be rough. It did nothing more than give me some minor soreness at the injection site. The follow-up shot months later, on the other hand, put me down hard for a few days, for some odd, unexpected reason and was very painful at the site. I was expecting my body to react mildly like the first shot, so it caught me by surprise. But it was well worth it to get that protection!

I had a similar happening. Except it was the First shot that was rough for me. It hurt and my arm was sore for ten days. I was anticipating the same thing when I went for the Second shot. Totally different... I hardly felt it and my arm was slightly sore for a few days. I wondered at the time if the person giving the shot made a difference, since two different people administered the shot at Walgreens.

Oh, I didn't need a script from my doctor. We just went to Walgreens and had zero problems. We are on Medicare.

Get the shot!

Now I'm patiently waiting for the Covid-19 injection. Yeah right.