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If you’ve ever had chickenpox in your childhood, chances are you’re likely to develop shingles in the future.

While people might assume that shingles – a painful, blistering rash – only affects older adults, one in three adults who have had chickenpox are susceptible to it.

Here’s what you need to know about shingles and the vaccine.

Key Takeaways

• Shingles is a viral infection caused by the same virus responsible for chickenpox, known as the varicella-zoster virus.
• 1 out of 3 people of any age in the U.S. will develop shingles.
• The CDC recommends Shingrix, an FDA-approved shingles vaccine, to prevent shingles and related complications.
• Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plans cover the shingles vaccine with no out-of-pocket costs.

Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a viral infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is the same virus that causes chickenpox.

When a person of any age gets the varicella-zoster virus, some of the virus remains dormant in central nerve cells. When the immune system is challenged by stress, the virus can reactivate as shingles.

Most commonly, shingles causes a painful rash that may appear as blisters across the stomach area. Sometimes, the shingles rash occurs around the eye, neck or face.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends Shingrix, a recombinant zoster vaccine.

While there is no cure for shingles, the Food and Drug Administration-approved Shingrix shingles vaccine can significantly prevent a shingles outbreak and a painful complication, called postherpetic neuralgia.

“The chance of getting shingles increases with age, which is why shingles........

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