If you are aged 60 or older and have previously had chickenpox or shingles, McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) recommends residents make an appointment to receive the shingles vaccine. A clinic has been scheduled for Friday, February 18, from 8:45am-1:15pm, at its Crystal Lake office, 100 N. Virginia Street (one block south of Routes 14 and 176). Appointments are required. The cost is $200 (cash, check or credit card accepted). Medicaid is also accepted.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost 1 out of every 3 people in the United States will develop shingles. There are an estimated 1 million cases each year in this country. Shingles is a painful skin rash often accompanied by blisters appearing on one side of the body and can last 2-4 weeks. Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus stays in the body in a dormant (inactive) state. For reasons that are not fully known, the virus can reactivate years later, causing shingles. Anyone who has recovered from chickenpox may develop shingles; even children can get shingles. The risk of developing shingles increases as a person gets older. About half of all cases occur among men and women 60 years old or older. In rare instances, shingles can lead to pneumonia, hearing problems, blindness, brain inflammation (encephalitis), or death.
Shingles is not contagious; however, a person who has never had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine could get chickenpox from someone with shingles. A person with shingles blisters should avoid contact with anyone with a weak immune system, newborns and pregnant women.
As with any vaccine, people with special health considerations should contact their physician before receiving the shingles vaccine. Call 815-334-4500 to make an appointment. Visit www.mcdh.info for more information.
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