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In reply to the discussion: Public DU Service announcement to older DUers - get your damn Shingles vaccinations!!! [View all]Zambero
(8,964 posts)My father was super healthy for his age as well, but 3 years ago at 89 he contracted shingles and it also involved his brain cells. Fortunately his eyes were spared. For several weeks he had constant nausea, stroke-like symptoms, and extreme headache with no relief. He survived that episode, and after seeing what he went through our family members over 50 got the shingles vaccine. For anyone who has ever gotten chicken pox, with the passage of time the herpes zoster antibody count and immune function will gradually decline. If a person lives long enough there's a better than even chance of getting shingles. If a debilitating disease is preventable and the means to prevent it is readily available, it make sense to take advantage of it.