3 ms·

That seems like being penny wise and pound foolish.

tptacek 3mo ago
I think the bigger thing is that the vaccine has a peak response window, and the current medical guidance lines that up with when you're epidemiologically most likely to experience a shingles outbreak (for most people, that's very unlikely when you're young, because your immune system is so jumpy, but that wanes with age). If you get the vaccine early, its effect can be attenuated right when you need it most. (I don't like this logic and if I had the option of just going to Walgreens and getting vaccinated, I'd do that this afternoon. I'm just saying, there's a logic to it.)
subscribed 3mo ago
Looks like the GP is in the UK. I tried to go private (also not 50), but everyone just refused. Pharmacy, GP, private GP. Currently I'm arranging it in the third country because WTAF. (UK becoming the dirtiest and sickest country of Europe one more time)
- monkey_monkey 3mo ago
  > (UK becoming the dirtiest and sickest country of Europe one more time) Big Yawn
  - subscribed 3mo ago
    Don't let the facts to discourage you from yawning. > [1] Of the reported 22,289 bathing waters across Europe (EU-27, Albania and Switzerland) in 2025, 84% were rated excellent quality. This share reached 85% at the EU level. [1] https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/european-bathing-water-quality-in-2025 https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/european-... > [2] In 2025, 297 bathing waters in England (66.1 per cent) met the Excellent standard Note the sharply increasing amount of "Poor" waters. And that's despite the methodology allowing to presence of untreated sewage and human faeces in the "excellent" waters: https://www.theferret.scot/scottish-beaches-excellent-polluted-sewage/ https://www.theferret.scot/scottish-beaches-excellent-pollut... [2] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/bathing-water-quality-statistics/2025-statistics-on-english-coastal-and-inland-bathing-waters-a-summary-of-compliance-with-the-bathing-water-amendment-england-and-wales-regulatio https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/bathing-water-quali... With treatment waiting times, dental treatment availability and deaths while waiting for the ambulance I don't think I need to get into gory details.
- pasc1878 3mo ago
  The age for shingles vaccine in the UK under the NHS (so free) is 65. Of course I got shingles when I was 64. Caught early and got anti-virals and had no lasting effects.
  - subscribed 3mo ago
    I wanted to pay the full price, but pharmacies (Boots, Lloyds, couple of small ones) refused citing NICE guidance, GP and private GP refused to "prescribe" it.
  - jyounker 3mo ago
    I'm glad you got lucky. I got it identified and treated with antivirals early (first 12 hours), a friend of mine turned out to be a research dermatologist who took over treatment in the first 36 hours, and still I ended up with long term effects. (Apparently if I'd gone another 12 hours without significant response, he would have put me on intravenous antivirals.) I'm glad you didn't have any lasting effects.
- copperx 3mo ago
  Close, I'm in the US. I don't need a script to get it, only if I want the insurance to pay for it. But if I couldn't I could still go to Mexico and buy brand name Shingrix.
- Integer 3mo ago
  Weird, I went to a travel vaccination clinic in London and got it no questions asked (the nurse was even familiar with the dementia research). Try calling privatemedicalclinic.com ?
  - subscribed 3mo ago
    Thanks a lot!

I think the bigger thing is that the vaccine has a peak response window, and the current medical guidance lines that up with when you're epidemiologically most likely to experience a shingles outbreak (for most people, that's very unlikely when you're young, because your immune system is so jumpy, but that wanes with age). If you get the vaccine early, its effect can be attenuated right when you need it most. (I don't like this logic and if I had the option of just going to Walgreens and getting vaccinated, I'd do that this afternoon. I'm just saying, there's a logic to it.)

subscribed 3mo ago

Looks like the GP is in the UK. I tried to go private (also not 50), but everyone just refused. Pharmacy, GP, private GP. Currently I'm arranging it in the third country because WTAF. (UK becoming the dirtiest and sickest country of Europe one more time)

monkey_monkey 3mo ago
> (UK becoming the dirtiest and sickest country of Europe one more time) Big Yawn
- subscribed 3mo ago
  Don't let the facts to discourage you from yawning. > [1] Of the reported 22,289 bathing waters across Europe (EU-27, Albania and Switzerland) in 2025, 84% were rated excellent quality. This share reached 85% at the EU level. [1] https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/european-bathing-water-quality-in-2025 https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/european-... > [2] In 2025, 297 bathing waters in England (66.1 per cent) met the Excellent standard Note the sharply increasing amount of "Poor" waters. And that's despite the methodology allowing to presence of untreated sewage and human faeces in the "excellent" waters: https://www.theferret.scot/scottish-beaches-excellent-polluted-sewage/ https://www.theferret.scot/scottish-beaches-excellent-pollut... [2] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/bathing-water-quality-statistics/2025-statistics-on-english-coastal-and-inland-bathing-waters-a-summary-of-compliance-with-the-bathing-water-amendment-england-and-wales-regulatio https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/bathing-water-quali... With treatment waiting times, dental treatment availability and deaths while waiting for the ambulance I don't think I need to get into gory details.
pasc1878 3mo ago
The age for shingles vaccine in the UK under the NHS (so free) is 65. Of course I got shingles when I was 64. Caught early and got anti-virals and had no lasting effects.
- subscribed 3mo ago
  I wanted to pay the full price, but pharmacies (Boots, Lloyds, couple of small ones) refused citing NICE guidance, GP and private GP refused to "prescribe" it.
- jyounker 3mo ago
  I'm glad you got lucky. I got it identified and treated with antivirals early (first 12 hours), a friend of mine turned out to be a research dermatologist who took over treatment in the first 36 hours, and still I ended up with long term effects. (Apparently if I'd gone another 12 hours without significant response, he would have put me on intravenous antivirals.) I'm glad you didn't have any lasting effects.
copperx 3mo ago
Close, I'm in the US. I don't need a script to get it, only if I want the insurance to pay for it. But if I couldn't I could still go to Mexico and buy brand name Shingrix.
Integer 3mo ago
Weird, I went to a travel vaccination clinic in London and got it no questions asked (the nurse was even familiar with the dementia research). Try calling privatemedicalclinic.com ?
- subscribed 3mo ago
  Thanks a lot!