How long after shingles can person get vaccinated?

Dear Dr. Roach: I am 81 years old and was diagnosed with shingles at the end of October. After taking famciclovir, I am healing, but still have a scaly rash and shooting pains on the right side of my head. I was told that the pain could last for a year or more. Is this true? The outbreak was on my scalp, forehead, brow and eye area. I saw my ophthalmologist and was fortunate the shingles did not get in my eye.

I also saw my physician, who recommended I get the shingles vaccine in February. My eye doctor disagrees and said to wait six to nine months. What is the recommended time span? How long does the vaccine protect someone? Once you have the vaccine, can you get shingles again? — L.H.

Dear L.H.: Both your doctors are right. Your regular doctor who recommended a fourmonth time span is correct, but your eye doctor, who said six to nine months, is right also. In fact, the vaccine may be given at any time after the shingles lesions are healed. Getting shingles again within a year is very unlikely, so it is fine to wait up to a year after the bout of shingles.

The length of protection seems to be long. But this is still a new vaccine, and it is unclear how long the protection will last.

Unfortunately, no vaccine is perfect — even our best vaccines. Some people will get shingles despite getting the vaccine. Fortunately, the vaccine is even better at preventing the worst complication of shingles, persistent pain called postherpetic neuralgia. Trials have shown 89% to 100% protection against this terrible complication. In people in their 80s, it can indeed last up to a year and occasionally longer.

Dr. Keith Roach