Pharmacies Offer Easy Way For Those Over 50 To Get Vaccinated For Shingles
By Michelle Durham
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - You may have noticed the last time you visited your neighborhood pharmacy, they are offering vaccines and you don't need a prescription.
Rite Aid Pharmacist Brett Keenan says it's no trouble at all to give you the vaccine you need. Right now they are inoculating folks 50 and older against shingles. Who should get this vaccine?
"If you have had the chicken pox as a child or even if you have never had it but have been exposed to someone to has had it, then you should still get the vaccine because the virus can still be in your system. As you get older, your immune system doesn't work as well, so it can come back out and it's very very painful."
Shingles can emerge as blisters, can cause nerve damage and even affect the eye. The virus can last for up to a year. The vaccine decreases your chance of contracting shingles by up to 50 percent. Keenan says it only takes a minute to protect yourself.
"We offer it at every location. It's very easy: come in at any time. You don't need a prescription, just ask the pharmacist and we can run it through your insurance to see if it is covered."
Keenan also reminds you the pharmacist is always available to answer any medication question.
