Appointments are still available for the shingles vaccination clinic scheduled for Friday February 18, from 8:45am-1:15pm, at the McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) 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.
You should receive the vaccine if you are aged 60 or older and have previously had chickenpox or shingles. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost 1 out of every 3 people in the United States will develop shingles. Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox, and can last 2-4 weeks. The risk of developing shingles increases as a person gets older with half of all cases occurring 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.
Although shingles is not contagious, 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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