42 Charles Street, Kaiapoi 7630
We are open from 8:30am until 5:00pm, Monday to Friday.
Late night Tuesday 7-7:30pm Dr Gerard Fairhall patients only (no appointments).
Shingles is a painful skin rash that usually appears around your chest and back, but can also affect your legs or face. It appears on only one side of your body.
Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. The Shingles vaccine protects against herpes zoster (shingles) infection.
About one-third of people will develop shingles in their lifetime; 50% by the time they reach age 85 years.
Shingrix is free for patients 65 years of age or over. Shingrix requires two doses given 6 months apart. If you are unsure if you are eligible, or want to book your vaccination, get in touch today.
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After you recover from chickenpox, the virus stays in your body. It moves to the roots of your nerve cells (near the spinal cord) and becomes inactive (dormant). Later, if the virus becomes active again, shingles are the name given to the symptoms it causes. |
You can only get shingles if you’ve had chickenpox in the past (usually as a child). While anyone who has recovered from chickenpox may develop shingles, the risk of shingles increases as you get older. |
It is not known what exactly causes the virus to become active again, but the risk of getting shingles is greater in people with a weakened immune system. |
You can’t catch shingles from someone else. However, if you’ve never had chickenpox, or received the chickenpox vaccine, you can catch chickenpox from close contact with someone who has shingles, because the shingles blisters contain the chickenpox virus. |
Book your appointment now or contact us for more information.
Our team of experienced medical and health professionals is passionate about the health of our community.
Monday to Friday - 8.30am to 5.00pm
Closed on public holidays.
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