Flu & Shingles Vaccine at the same time

Posted by liz5cents @liz5cents, Oct 13, 2021

Can I receive my flu and 1st shingles vaccine at the same appointment? Are there any risks to doing this?

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You can have them at the same time.

I am 70 years old and my husband 71. I am allergic to some medications… he is not.

We had our first Shingrix vaccine last Friday. We had our flu vaccine a week before and was offered the Shingix vaccine at same time. Because of me having allergies or severe reactions to some medications ... and had no idea how I would react to the Shingrix vaccine … I said I wanted to wait. My husband waited too. A week before the flu vaccine we had our covid booster vaccine. I ran a low grade fever for a few hours after the booster and a bit buggy for a couple of days.

Friday evening after having the Shingrix vaccine we both had very sore arms, felt buggy and had a headache. We felt even more miserable Friday… he was nauseous and I was nauseous and vomiting. Not a good thing when you are keeping your 7 & 8 year old grand-girls. By Sunday evening we were feeling better. Our arms were not sore to move.. but sore to touch by then. Those girls know how to find the sore spot when hugging.. they hug a lot! I think Tuesday the soreness was gone.

I looked up the side-effects of the Shingrix vaccine and these are more the side effects of the second vaccine than the first. Most people do not have such reactions. We are just weird. Usually it is just me that has the weird reactions and not my husband… guess I'm growing on him. 😂

What happens to others will probably not happen to you. You know you best. … how you react to medications.

To me this discomfort from the vaccine will be worth it to never get Shingles again. I had it on my face in Sept of 2017 and had a milder case of it on my face again earlier this year. Shingles is very painful! It is also scary near my eye. Shingles can enter the eye.

My goal here was not to scare you .. but maybe help you decide what is best for you.

ZeeGee

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@fourof5zs
Good morning,
Did a Physician tell you it was safe to get all those vaccines so close together? I ask because I was told I had to wait 30 days after my second Covid vaccine to get the Shingles vaccine. Maybe there is a difference between the last Covid vaccine and the booster, I don’t know.
I always get a flu shot too but I haven’t asked about that. Can't hurt to wait, I hope.
I’ve had Shingles too and agree it is awful. I'm only allergic to one medication, Tolectin a Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory. I have read that other vaccines can be administered on the same day as Covid so I'm curious why I was told to wait a month for the Shingles vaccine.
Take care,
Jake

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@jakedduck1

@fourof5zs
Good morning,
Did a Physician tell you it was safe to get all those vaccines so close together? I ask because I was told I had to wait 30 days after my second Covid vaccine to get the Shingles vaccine. Maybe there is a difference between the last Covid vaccine and the booster, I don’t know.
I always get a flu shot too but I haven’t asked about that. Can't hurt to wait, I hope.
I’ve had Shingles too and agree it is awful. I'm only allergic to one medication, Tolectin a Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory. I have read that other vaccines can be administered on the same day as Covid so I'm curious why I was told to wait a month for the Shingles vaccine.
Take care,
Jake

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@jakedduck1
We were offered the flu vaccine along with my covid booster. I was told by my doctor, the hospital facility, and our pharmacists (he/she gives us the flu & shingle vaccines) that we did not need to wait to take the Shingles vaccine. The only precaution they gave us was to have two weeks between any of the vaccines and steroid injections. I probably would have waited longer, but my husband has an upcoming appointment with the podiatrist and he wanted to make sure enough time in case he is given a steroid injection.

I don't see anything on the CDC site about waiting to get the Shingrix vaccine after the covid ones… but I am tired this morning.. so may be missing it.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/shingles/hcp/shingrix/faqs.html

ZeeGee

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@fourof5zs

You can have them at the same time.

I am 70 years old and my husband 71. I am allergic to some medications… he is not.

We had our first Shingrix vaccine last Friday. We had our flu vaccine a week before and was offered the Shingix vaccine at same time. Because of me having allergies or severe reactions to some medications ... and had no idea how I would react to the Shingrix vaccine … I said I wanted to wait. My husband waited too. A week before the flu vaccine we had our covid booster vaccine. I ran a low grade fever for a few hours after the booster and a bit buggy for a couple of days.

Friday evening after having the Shingrix vaccine we both had very sore arms, felt buggy and had a headache. We felt even more miserable Friday… he was nauseous and I was nauseous and vomiting. Not a good thing when you are keeping your 7 & 8 year old grand-girls. By Sunday evening we were feeling better. Our arms were not sore to move.. but sore to touch by then. Those girls know how to find the sore spot when hugging.. they hug a lot! I think Tuesday the soreness was gone.

I looked up the side-effects of the Shingrix vaccine and these are more the side effects of the second vaccine than the first. Most people do not have such reactions. We are just weird. Usually it is just me that has the weird reactions and not my husband… guess I'm growing on him. 😂

What happens to others will probably not happen to you. You know you best. … how you react to medications.

To me this discomfort from the vaccine will be worth it to never get Shingles again. I had it on my face in Sept of 2017 and had a milder case of it on my face again earlier this year. Shingles is very painful! It is also scary near my eye. Shingles can enter the eye.

My goal here was not to scare you .. but maybe help you decide what is best for you.

ZeeGee

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Thank you for your response. I don’t qualify for the Covid booster yet so thought I’d get my 1st shingles & flu vaccinations out of the way. 😊

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@liz5cents

Thank you for your response. I don’t qualify for the Covid booster yet so thought I’d get my 1st shingles & flu vaccinations out of the way. 😊

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Hi Liz, According to the CDC, the Shingrix vaccine can be given at the same time as other adult vaccines. See this web page: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/shingles/hcp/shingrix/faqs.html

Here's an excerpt.
"Q: Can I give Shingrix with other adult vaccines?
A: Yes, Shingrix is an inactive vaccine so you can administer it with other inactive or live vaccines. If you administer Shingrix and another vaccine to someone on the same day, give them at different anatomical sites (e.g., different arms)."

For people asking about the COVID vaccine and flu shots, see this blog post from Mayo Clinic
- You can get COVID-19 vaccine booster and flu shots at the same time https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/health-equity-research/newsfeed-post/yes-you-can-get-covid-19-vaccine-booster-and-flu-shots-at-the-same-time/

I also concur that if you have a history of having a strong immune response to vaccines, you may choose to not get them simultaneously.

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@colleenyoung1
Thank you Colleen.
It may not make since but I'm going to wait a bit and get my flu shot. Not necessary but I'll feel more comfortable doing it that way. The important thing is that I’m getting them. Like my Covid vaccine, better late than never.
Jake

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I have read that there is no problem in having them at the same time too. I had my flu shot at my PCP’s office on Tuesday but the FDA and CDC have not actually approved shringrix for immunocompromised patients. I read an article in July that sounded as if they had, but apparently they have not. I am very anxious to get it as soon as it is approved.

My sister-in-law has been battling a terrible case of shingles since March and has been hospitalized two times due to extreme pain. That’s the last thing I want of course. My husband had shingles too in the late winter though and only had mild itching for 2 or 3 weeks. I guess those are the two ends of the spectrum.
JK

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@contentandwell

I have read that there is no problem in having them at the same time too. I had my flu shot at my PCP’s office on Tuesday but the FDA and CDC have not actually approved shringrix for immunocompromised patients. I read an article in July that sounded as if they had, but apparently they have not. I am very anxious to get it as soon as it is approved.

My sister-in-law has been battling a terrible case of shingles since March and has been hospitalized two times due to extreme pain. That’s the last thing I want of course. My husband had shingles too in the late winter though and only had mild itching for 2 or 3 weeks. I guess those are the two ends of the spectrum.
JK

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Just a comment I had shingles when I was 3 mos. pregnant on my stomach, that was fun.

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@anniemaggie

Just a comment I had shingles when I was 3 mos. pregnant on my stomach, that was fun.

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@anniemaggie OUCH!
JK

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@colleenyoung

Hi Liz, According to the CDC, the Shingrix vaccine can be given at the same time as other adult vaccines. See this web page: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/shingles/hcp/shingrix/faqs.html

Here's an excerpt.
"Q: Can I give Shingrix with other adult vaccines?
A: Yes, Shingrix is an inactive vaccine so you can administer it with other inactive or live vaccines. If you administer Shingrix and another vaccine to someone on the same day, give them at different anatomical sites (e.g., different arms)."

For people asking about the COVID vaccine and flu shots, see this blog post from Mayo Clinic
- You can get COVID-19 vaccine booster and flu shots at the same time https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/health-equity-research/newsfeed-post/yes-you-can-get-covid-19-vaccine-booster-and-flu-shots-at-the-same-time/

I also concur that if you have a history of having a strong immune response to vaccines, you may choose to not get them simultaneously.

Jump to this post

I ended Dec ‘20 w severe spinal stenosis/ sciatica & had aspinal epidural on 1/23/21. —Then on March 5th I had a strong immune reaction to my “2nd Moderna “shot affecting my lymph nodes. It started w a sore throat,aches, nausea, severe fatigue causing weakness, I evacuated everything I ate immediately after eating except for baked potatoes.I Drank Pedialite ev day for 3 +wks & a family member stayed w me for more than a month. I “dread”getting the Moderna booster shot. Then, 3 mos later I came down w a wicked case of shingles.I spent most of 5 wks +in bed which was overall very debilitating to my wellbeing. Unfortunately I hadn’t had the Shingrix vaccine, I had the Zosterfax Which no longer provided immunity. I’m now 84yrs old, not requiring any meds for blood pressure, cholesterol or diabetes but having spinal surgery next wk.— —Sorry for the above diatribe Colleen Young,but who would I consult w Re my concern of the effects of a Moderna booster shot if required . JMCD

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