Shingles Vaccination Service

Protect yourself from Shingles (Herpes Zoster) with our private shingles vaccine service. Available at selected Peak Pharmacy branches near you.

If you want to learn more about the vaccine for shingles, potential side effects, and who is eligible for a vaccine then read on.

Service Benefits: Convenient, Accessible, Flexible

What is Shingles?

Shingles is caused by the Herpes Zoster virus and occurs after a previous infection with the chickenpox virus, Varicella zoster.

Shingles usually (but not strictly) affects adults over 50 years of age who have had chickenpox earlier in their life, and around 1 in 5 individuals who have had chickenpox will go on to develop Shingles. Chickenpox affects 90% of the UK population before they turn 15 years old, which means the vast majority of UK adults could go on to develop Shingles.

In the UK the NHS targets groups of patients most at risk of Shingles complications previously this only included those in age groups 70-79 years but a recent update from the JCVI has changed this to those 60-79 years old. The priority groups will be those 65 and over and in subsequent years those 60 and over will be eligible.

Shingles is an unpleasant condition that can have a significant impact on a patient's quality of life. For those who work full-time an average of 9 days of work may be lost (1) and shingles-associated pain, known as postherpetic neuralgia can last for anywhere between 1-3 months; 1 in 5 even report pain lasting longer than one year.

Shingrix manufacturer GSK interviewed Eamonn Holmes to learn more about how Shingles and the painful condition known as post-herpetic neuralgia affected his life.

Want to know more about Shingles, and the Shingles Vaccine then please read on.

The Shingles Vaccine

At a glance

Name: Shingrix
Price: £220 per dose
Doses: 2 doses, an initial dose and a 2nd dose 2 months later
Booster: Need for a booster has not yet been established
Type: Inactivated vaccine

Who is the Shingles vaccine suitable for?

Our service is primarily aimed at individuals 50 years and over. The suitability of each Shingles vaccine can be discussed at length with the pharmacist prior to administration.

If you are under 50 years old and are considering vaccination please speak to our teams as our experienced pharmacists may be able to help.

Unfortunately, the service cannot be recommended to those who:

Have an active infection of Shingles, Chickenpox or Postherpetic Neuralgia
Have had an allergic reaction to a previous dose of the Shingles vaccine
Are pregnant or breastfeeding

Let's take a deeper look at the two vaccines licenced for use in the UK to prevent Shingles.

Shingrix

Shingrix Shingles Vaccine is an inactivated vaccine, this means that the vaccine is not live, and therefore cannot cause the disease we are trying to prevent. This also means it is suitable for patients whose immune systems are not functioning correctly. These patients are known as immunocompromised.

Manufacturer data suggests this vaccine is around 97% effective at preventing Shingles in patients who received 2 doses 2 months apart and around 70% effective in patients who were immunocompromised. The vaccine was demonstrated to be 100% effective at preventing pain that persists after the initial infection, known as post-herpetic neuralgia.

The vaccine is known to continue providing protection for 10 years. Data is still being gathered on the longevity of protection and the need for any booster doses.

Shingrix isn’t the cheapest shingles vaccine available, but the data does demonstrate that it is very effective at preventing breakthrough infection and postherpetic neuralgia.

You can read more about this product in the Patient Information Leaflet:

How do I book an Appointment?

To book an appointment for a private shingles vaccine please phone your local participating Peak Pharmacy or submit a contact us form and we will put you in touch. A full list of participating pharmacies can be viewed on this page.

At Peak Pharmacy, we offer private shingles vaccination services. Our experienced pharmacists will answer any questions you have about the vaccine and help you schedule your appointment. We also offer a variety of other immunisation services, including the Flu Vaccine, Pneumonia Vaccine, and Travel Vaccinations.

References:

Rampakakis E, Stutz M, Kawai K, Tsai TF, Cheong HJ, Dhitavat J, Ortiz-Covarrubias A, Cashat-Cruz M, Monsanto H, Johnson KD, Sampalis JS, Acosta CJ. Association between work time loss and quality of life in patients with Herpes Zoster: a pooled analysis of the MASTER studies. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2017 Jan 18;15(1):11. doi: 10.1186/s12955-017-0588-x. PMID: 28100258; PMCID: PMC5242047.

Shingles Vaccination Service