Vaccinating against shingles

Practice nurse Sue Adams first contracted herpes zoster (shingles) in 1976, age 25 years. She has experienced two further episodes of shingles and has occasional flare-ups of symptoms.

'I don't think anyone appreciates how debilitating shingles is, and how depressed one can become,' she explains. 'The pain is the most significant long-term side effect. It still comes and goes - particularly in early spring time.'

Reactivation of virus

Shingles is caused by secondary reactivation of the varicella zoster virus, a member of the human herpes virus group. It lies latent in nerve tissue close to the brain and spinal cord following primary infection, which usually occurs as a child with varicella (chickenpox).