Shingles Vaccination
Do I need the shingles vaccine?
About 1 in 4 people get shingles in their lifetime, and both the risk and the severity climb steeply with age. Here is who should act — and who can check the free NHS route first.
| Traveller | Who should consider it | Doses & schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Advised Adults 50+ | From 50, immunity to the dormant chickenpox virus starts to fade and shingles risk rises year on year. Vaccination gives over 90% protection against shingles and the nerve pain that follows it. | 2 doses; the second 6–12 months after the first. |
| Advised Anyone who has already had shingles | Shingles can and does come back. Once an episode has fully settled, vaccination reduces the real risk of a repeat. | Same 2-dose course, once recovered. |
| Consider 50–64s with big plans ahead | A milestone trip, a new grandchild, a demanding year at work: shingles at the wrong moment can dominate months of it. Private vaccination is available from 50 without waiting for NHS age bands. | 2 doses; strong protection after the course. |
| Not usually needed Under 50s | Shingles happens at younger ages but is much less common and usually milder. The vaccine is not offered below 50 unless you are immunocompromised — in which case speak to your GP about NHS vaccination. | Speak to your GP if immunocompromised. |
Aged 65–79? Check with your GP first — you may be eligible for free NHS shingles vaccination, and if so that is the route to take. For everyone else from 50, see the travel clinic price list for current fees.
What is shingles?
Shingles is the chickenpox virus’s second act. After childhood chickenpox, the varicella-zoster virus retreats into the nerve roots and sleeps there for decades. When immunity dips — with age, stress or illness — it can reawaken as shingles: a painful, blistering rash tracking a band of skin, usually on one side of the chest, abdomen or face.
The rash heals within a few weeks; the real menace is what can follow. Post-herpetic neuralgia — burning nerve pain that persists for months or even years after the rash has gone — is hard to treat and most common in older adults. Shingles affecting the eye can threaten sight. This is the outcome vaccination is really there to prevent.
Modern shingles vaccination is highly effective — over 90% protection against both shingles and post-herpetic neuralgia in the key age groups — and it is not a live-virus vaccine, so it suits most people, including many who cannot have live vaccines. The NHS offers it to specific age bands; from 50 it is available privately at our Camberley clinic.
How the shingles vaccine works
A recombinant (non-live) two-dose course that reboots your immunity to the dormant virus.
| Who | Who should consider it | Doses & schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Adults 50–64 | Available privately without waiting for NHS age eligibility. | 2 doses; the second 6–12 months after the first. |
| Adults 65–79 | Check NHS eligibility with your GP first — if you qualify, take the free route. | Free via your GP if eligible; otherwise the same 2-dose course here. |
| Immunocompromised adults | You may qualify for NHS vaccination on a faster schedule. | Usually arranged via your GP. |
Already had shingles? You can still be vaccinated once the episode has fully settled — it reduces the risk of a recurrence.
How our travel clinic works
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Choose a time that suits you — same-week appointments are usually available, and families can be seen together in one visit.
Personalised risk assessment
Your pharmacist reviews your itinerary, health history and previous vaccinations against current UK travel health guidance, and agrees a plan with you.
Two visits, months apart
The first dose is given at your appointment; we book the second for 6–12 months later and remind you when it is due.
Travelling? Shingles does not check itineraries
Shingles is not a travel disease — but it loves to gatecrash big plans, and a bout abroad is miserable. If a milestone trip is coming up, sorting vaccination beforehand is common sense:
Frequently asked questions
Who can have the shingles vaccine?
Privately, any adult from 50. The NHS separately offers it to specific groups — currently people in their late 60s and 70s and severely immunocompromised adults — so it is always worth checking your GP eligibility first.
I have already had shingles — is the vaccine still worth it?
Yes. Shingles can recur, and vaccination after recovery reduces that risk. Wait until the episode has fully settled before having the first dose.
How is the shingles vaccine given?
Two injections, with the second 6–12 months after the first. It is a recombinant, non-live vaccine, so it is suitable for most people — including many who cannot have live vaccines.
What is post-herpetic neuralgia?
Nerve pain that persists after the shingles rash has healed — burning, stabbing or aching in the affected band of skin, sometimes for months or years. It is the most common serious complication of shingles and the main thing vaccination prevents.
Can I catch shingles from someone else?
No — shingles only comes from your own dormant chickenpox virus reactivating. Someone with shingles can, however, give chickenpox to a person who has never had it, via contact with the blisters. See our chickenpox vaccination page.
Can I have it alongside travel vaccines?
Usually yes, in the same visit. Tell us about your travel plans at the risk assessment and we will build the whole schedule together.
Rated by 330+ patients of our Camberley pharmacy and clinics.
GPhC registered pharmacy 1105418 · Superintendent pharmacist Jirina Thielens (GPhC 2069634).
This guide follows UK national travel health guidance (TravelHealthPro / NHS) and was last reviewed in August 2026. Recommendations can change — your consultation always reflects the latest advice.
Make 50 a number, not a risk factor.
Shingles vaccination at our Camberley clinic — over 90% protection against shingles and the nerve pain that follows it.
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