From 2015 one that shows an increased incidence of shingles in young adults who were vaccinated. Also, secondary loss of immunity due to no longer being exposed to infected children. (Though that immunity turns out to be less effective than once thought)
This WebMD from 2018 might be useful.
Link(s) please?
Apparently a big portion of the spike is among people in their 30’s. Anecdotally I can say that’s pretty true, I’m around that age and a shit ton of my peers have gone down with shingles the last few years. Seems to run through the restaurant business every year around this time. Mostly hear people in their early to mid 30’s, and far fewer older folks. Which is weird as shingles has always had a much higher incidence in the over 65 set. I can’t remember ever hearing about a person in their 30’s getting shingles before a few years ago. And my mother’s doctor was shocked when she developed shingles in her late 40’s.
I’ve heard it suggested that the chicken pox parties are to blame. These were all the rage in the late 70’s through the 80’s, before the vaccine was introduced. Right around the time when I was a kid, and most of those in their 30’s fucks with their hipster ass old people diseases were as well. Apparently early infection with the pox is associated with increased risk of shingles. And a big part of those parties was getting the kids sick early enough that they wouldn’t remember it.
Which seems so fucking dumb.
If you’ve never had the virus or a vaccination, and you’re old enough to spend time on this BBS, you may want to go ahead and get vaccinated. Forget shingles for the moment, chicken pox is much more dangerous to catch as an adult than it is as a kid.
As some others have noted above, ironically that’s part of the reason that the UK doesn’t vaccinate kids. They WANT kids to catch it at an age that’s relatively safe rather than have a bunch of unexposed adults running around. From the NHS page on the subject:
While chickenpox during childhood is unpleasant, the vast majority of children recover quickly and easily. In adults, chickenpox is more severe and the risk of complications increases with age.
If a childhood chickenpox vaccination programme was introduced, people would not catch chickenpox as children because the infection would no longer circulate in areas where the majority of children had been vaccinated.
This would leave unvaccinated children susceptible to contracting chickenpox as adults, when they are more likely to develop a more severe infection or a secondary complication, or in pregnancy, when there is a risk of the infection harming the baby.
We could also see a significant increase in cases of shingles in adults. Being exposed to chickenpox as an adult – for example, through contact with infected children – boosts your immunity to shingles.
I got it in my mid 30s, some 10-15 years ago.
Over the past two years, I’ve been hearing more about the shingles vaccine from doctors. When I told one that I’d never had chicken pox, she told me that I must have had it and forgotten. My aunt is 85 and still talks about the rash and the itching - neither of which I’ve ever had. Back in the day, families kept sick children separated. When my older brother was exposed, he stayed at the home of the friend where he caught it until they were both well.
Another physician told me that 99% of adults have been exposed. Even if I don’t remember having any symptoms, he claimed I was still exposed to it and should get the shingles vaccine instead of the chicken pox vaccine. Nurses have suggested getting a blood test to confirm if I’ve been exposed and/or immune. Of course, I’d have to pay for that (and the chicken pox vaccine, if I need it). It would be easier and less expensive if I could convince a doctor that I don’t have some form of amnesia when it comes to childhood diseases.
It would be hard to separate that increase in a population where herd immunity has decreased due to a 4x increase in unvaccinated kids since 2001. More virus exposures mean more shingles cases would be a logical conclusion.
^This and a half. I grew up before the vaccine was available and contracted chicken pox as an adult. YOU DO NOT WANT. I have a fairly high pain threshold as an endurance athlete, and there were times during that 7 days when I just wanted to die.
Honestly, I didn’t even know there was a chicken pox vaccine until recently. I really need to get it if it wards off shingles. My friend got shingles around age 35 and despite being the type to cut a finger off and say “just a scratch!” and went through a lot of sport injuries says it was the worst thing imaginable.
If you’ve had chicken pox already, then the chicken pox vaccine won’t help. Get the shingles vaccine instead.
That is sound medical advice; most medicine has “Keep away from children” on the label.
Edit: while looking for a picture to back up my unsupported asertion, I came across the following graphic exhorting people to, “In the interest of safety, please keep all pull cords and chains out of reach of children.”; not, “Don’t yank on the love beads.” like my prurient mind assumed.
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