People in their 70s across the Isle of Wight are being urged to protect themselves against shingles with a free vaccine.
GP practices are offering the vaccination as part of the NHS shingles vaccination programme for 2017/18, which began on 1st September 2017.
As of the end of August 2017, fewer than half of all eligible 70-year-olds in the NHS England Wessex area had been vaccinated against shingles – including only around 4 of 10 of people on the Isle of Wight.
Dr Michele Legg, the GP who is the clinical lead for NHS Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group, said:
“We would encourage all eligible people to book an appointment with their GP practice for their free shingles vaccination.
“Shingles is caused by the same virus as chickenpox. Most people have chickenpox as children, but the infection lays dormant in the nervous system, even after recovery from the illness and can reactivate later in life when the immune system is weakened to cause shingles.
“As people get older their immune system naturally weakens – which is why those aged 70 and over are more likely to get shingles.”
Shingles is a very itchy and burning group of blisters. It can be very painful and debilitating and because it reactivates in the nervous system, it can lead to nerve pain and other health problems long after the initial rash has disappeared. The rash commonly affects one area of the body, often the chest, but it can also affect any nerves – including those in the face and eyes – and can last up to 4 weeks.
For some people, the pain can persist for months after the rash has disappeared. Complications of shingles can also be fatal for around one in 1,000 over-70s who develop the illness.
People in their 70s remain eligible for the vaccine until their 80th birthday. Once vaccinated, you are protected for at least 5 years. People nearing their 80th birthday are particularly encouraged to book an appointment for vaccination if they have not already done so.
The shingles vaccination is not routinely provided to anyone aged over 80 by the NHS because it seems less effective in this age group.
