One vaccination all people over the age of 50 should consider is Zostavax, or the shingles vaccination.
Speaking from my direct experience as a GP, the patients I have who have suffered through shingles have often had a torrid time: extreme pain, blisters, occasionally involving eyes, ears or other organs and sometimes pain that doesn’t go away for months or even years. The shingles vaccination is very good at preventing all of these things.
As you are aware, shingles is a reactivation of the chicken pox virus that has been living dormant in our nerve cells since we first recovered from chicken pox.
The lifetime risk of shingles occurring is 1 in 3 but a vaccination reduces those chances by at least 50%. It also reduces the chances of long term pain, which is called post-herpetic neuralgia by 2/3. The shingles vaccinations also offers long term protection of at least five years and probably more, but studies do not go that far yet.
In some countries like the United Kingdom, the shingles vaccination is free, but unfortunately it is not yet funded in New Zealand.
One dose of Zostavax usually costs you under $200. If I was over 50 I would definitely get it myself and I would encourage you to do the same.
By Dr David Hassan. Read more here or visit daily-dose.co.nz