Tuesday, May 1, 2018
Vaccination
My annual physical caused my doctor to prescribe a pneumonia vaccine, and a shingles vaccine. The pneumonia vaccine was nothing. I was warned the shingles vaccine would hurt; no question it does, worse than any injection that I have ever had. Worse than the blood thinners I received in the belly while in the hospital. I am now very tired.
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Zostavax or the newer and more effective Shingrix? Per Wikipedia, "Temporary side effects from the Shingrix shots are likely, and can be severe enough in one out of six people to affect normal daily activities for up to three days. Mild to moderate pain at the injection site is common, and some may have redness or swelling. Side effects include fatigue, muscle pain, headache, shivering, fever, and nausea. Symptoms usually resolve in two to three days.", which is interesting because the former is an attenuated live virus, the same as in the chickenpox vaccine but at a higher dose. On the other hand, the latter is a lot more effective, and that's consistent with a much stronger immune system reaction.
ReplyDeleteIn any case, having gotten shingles in 2003 when I was 42 for ~3 weeks, without even knowing how painful the vaccine is, I can be certain it's a lot less than the disease.
Shingrix. My wife did not want me to do it just before flying to Dallas, but 1-3 days means I should be okay for my speech on May 4.
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