I wasn’t sure if I needed my Shingles vaccine so I took the titer test for it and it turned out i don’t need it at them moment but will in a few years.
I ordered the Titer test here for Americans:
Varicella Titer Test Near Me | Chickenpox Titer Test | Request A Test
I see that is a temporary catch up because of the pandemic. My understanding was that they do not recommend vaccinating children against chicken pox in the UK because the immunity only lasts for so many years. After that they can get more seriously ill if they catch it as young adults or later.
It’s quite spooky that the week we are discussing the shingles vaccine, one of my closest friends has developed shingles. She is too young for the vaccine.
I remember that we used to have chicken pox parties Annie. If a child caught chicken pox all the neighbours would take their kids round to catch it. Although I had chicken pox as a young’n I didn’t catch it from a party. It was that sexy Margaret Broadbent… 
I did get shingles in 2009 though, I was working as a postman at the time and My mum died, and Mrs Fox had a serious road accident on her bike. I was looking after my Dad and visiting Mrs Fox every afternoon after I’d finished my walk. It was a very stressful time and I had to work through it. I was allowed time off for my mums funeral but Mrs Fox was still in hospital and apart from My dad and daughter nobody else came. The doctor prescribed 400mg Ibuprofen and they kept me going. Tough time though. I would never have the shingles jab though, or the covid jab and so far survived them both…
You do have lifetime immunity if you catch it, although of course it can surface as shingles. Sorry about your horrendous time in 2009.
I had chicken pox aged 6 OGF. I remember this timeline because I was very upset not to be in a school play I had been rehearsing for. It was also a shame because I was meant to play with my parents’ friends’ daughter who was 3 years older than me and lived around the corner the afternoon after I was diagnosed. Because of the pox we didn’t become friends for another 12 years. She went off to boarding school and then we didn’t see each other. We have been great friends ever since we did eventually have a chance to meet but I regret that we weren’t closer during childhood. Dratted pox!
I also remember the horrible GP examination by some stranger locum doctor who pulled my knicker elastic to see how far the rash went. It was all down my back so I wasn’t scarred through scratching like some children.
As for the vaccine I am not sure what to say. There are people who are at great risk of shingles complications. There are also people who develop shingles in their eye and that is very dangerous. They vaccinate to try to keep elderly vulnerable people out of hospital. But I fully understand that people do have worries about vaccines. I had a particularly bad reaction to the first covid vaccine. I then had 3 more and after stopping the vaccines in the last 2 years I had a severe bout of Covid in Nov/Dec which I still feel I am recovering from. Bit breathless now and then, still get tired. It’s all very annoying.
Thanks Annie it was a torrid time, and Dad passed away the same year in August. Mrs Fox is still limited after injuries she received during her accident, but we are still here… 
I’m sorry to hear you are still getting over covid and hope you end up making a full recovery.
You know my feelings on the modern vaccines, but I would never advise anyone not to have them if they trust them, and after all, we are all different.
Glad to hear that you eventually met your parents friends daughter and that your friendship blossomed in later years. Good friends are hard to come by.
I am not sure about that. Most live vaccines do give long lasting immunity.
at any rate the incidence of chicken pox in Australia has plummetted since introduction of the vaccine.as you can see on graph in this link https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/30dc6fcd-352f-41b9-9e2f-4b4055630f39/aihw-phe-236_chickenpox.pdf.aspx
It is possible incidence is under reported due to mild cases not being recognised by parents as CP or not seeking medical help - but obviously reducing disease severity to that mild is also a gain
I’ve had it, a while ago now, it’s a one off I think. You don’t need any other.
So I had a look around and it turns out that the real reason they don’t vaccinate in the UK is because being exposed to Chicken pox infected children reduces the likelihood of Shingles emerging in adults, because such exposure triggers the immune response which then boosts your protection. Apparently some studies have disproved this theory and that’s why the vaccine is now being pushed. It’s a balance I guess between the risk of childhood chicken pox and the risks and hospitalisations of adult shingles. So now they are looking at vaccinating both cohorts and have increased the groups who can receive the shingles vaccine. This is on the basis of a study from the US.
Extract from the .gov link Boot posted earlier :
The original vaccine was one dose. The new Shingrix vaccine is two doses.
Was told one off when I had it done.
Tiffany if you had Zostavax that was a single vaccine.
The newer shingles vaccine Shingrix is 2 doses at least 2 months apart.
Don’t know which one, but guess it was that one, it was a while ago.
