The Brook Surgery offers both the Shingrix® shingles vaccine and the Bexsero® meningitis B vaccine at our practice in here in Hampstead, London.
Both vaccines have been discussed widely in the news recently, and we are increasingly being asked about them by patients and parents. Here is what we think is useful to know, including who may benefit, how many doses are needed and some of the questions we are asked most often.
What Is Shingles?
Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox.
If you have had chickenpox, the virus remains quietly in your nerves afterwards. Years or even decades later, it can become active again and cause shingles.
It usually appears as a painful, blistering rash in a band on one side of the body or face. People often describe the pain as burning, stabbing or very sensitive rather than simply itchy.
Why Is Shingles Worth Avoiding?
For some people, shingles settles within a few weeks. For others, the effects can last much longer.
The complication we worry about most is persistent nerve pain in the area where the rash occurred, known as post-herpetic neuralgia. This can continue for months, and occasionally years, after the skin has healed. It may be severe enough to disturb sleep or make something as simple as clothing touching the skin uncomfortable.
Shingles around the eye can affect vision, while shingles involving the ear can sometimes affect hearing.
Your risk of developing shingles increases with age, as does the chance of having longer-lasting complications.
Who Should Get The Shingles Vaccine??
The Shingrix shingles vaccine is approved from the age of 50, and it is worth considering if you are in your fifties or older.
It may be particularly important to discuss vaccination if you take medication that suppresses your immune system, or if you have diabetes, a long-term lung condition or another medical condition that makes infections harder to recover from.
NHS shingles vaccine eligibility is limited to particular age and clinical groups, which means many people in their fifties and sixties will not currently be eligible for free vaccination.
If you are unsure whether you qualify for the NHS shingles vaccine or whether private vaccination would be appropriate, please ask us and we can go through your circumstances with you.
Shingrix is given as a course of two injections, and protection is expected to last for at least ten years.
Does The Shingle Vaccine Reduce The Risk Of Dementia?
This is one of the questions we are being asked most often.
Several large observational studies have found that people who received a shingles vaccine were less likely to be diagnosed with dementia in the years afterwards. One study in Wales reported around a 20% lower rate, and more recent research has found a similar pattern.
It is an encouraging area of research and one that is being studied actively.
One possible explanation is that repeated reactivation of the shingles virus may contribute to inflammation or small amounts of damage to the brain and its blood vessels. Preventing reactivation could therefore potentially reduce some of that damage.
At the moment, however, the evidence does not allow us to say that the shingles vaccine prevents dementia.
We would regard any possible reduction in dementia risk as an encouraging added benefit. The established reason for having Shingrix is to reduce your risk of shingles and the complications that can follow it.
What Is The Meningitis B Vaccine?
Meningitis B, or MenB, is a serious bacterial infection that can cause meningitis and septicaemia.
Thankfully, it is uncommon, but when it does occur it can progress extremely quickly. Someone can go from feeling generally unwell to becoming critically ill within hours.
People who survive meningitis can sometimes be left with significant complications, including hearing loss, brain injury or loss of a limb.
The vaccine used to protect against meningitis B is called Bexsero®.
Has My Child Already Had The Meningitis B Vaccine?
Babies have routinely been offered the MenB vaccine in the UK since 2015.
Anyone born before the routine programme began may therefore not have received it as part of their childhood vaccinations.
Parents are sometimes surprised to learn that the meningitis vaccine usually offered in secondary school protects against several other types of meningococcal disease, but does not protect against meningitis B.
If you are unsure what your child has received, we can look through their vaccination history with you.
What is the meningitis B vaccine?
Meningitis B, or MenB, is a serious bacterial infection that can cause meningitis and septicaemia.
Thankfully, it is uncommon, but when it does occur it can progress extremely quickly. Someone can go from feeling generally unwell to becoming critically ill within hours.
People who survive meningitis can sometimes be left with significant complications, including hearing loss, brain injury or loss of a limb.
The vaccine used to protect against meningitis B is called Bexsero®.
Should University Students Have The Meningitis B Vaccine?
University students are one of the groups at higher risk of meningococcal disease after babies.
Moving into university halls or shared accommodation means suddenly living closely with large numbers of new people, often arriving from different parts of the country. This creates more opportunity for the bacteria that cause meningitis to spread.
Cases also tend to increase during the autumn months.
If you have a son or daughter starting university this autumn, or already partway through their studies, it is worth checking whether they have had the MenB vaccine.
We are also seeing parents arrange Bexsero vaccination for older teenagers who missed the routine childhood MenB programme because of their date of birth.
Some pre-university and university students may currently be eligible for MenB vaccination through an NHS catch-up programme. If you are unsure whether your child qualifies, please ask us and we can help you understand their options.
Does My Child Need A MenB Booster Before University?
If your child received a complete course of MenB vaccination as a baby, there is currently no routine recommendation for an additional MenB booster simply because they are starting university.
It is still worth checking their vaccination record, particularly if you are unsure whether they completed the course.
For teenagers and young adults having Bexsero for the first time, two doses are needed, given at least four weeks apart.
What Are The side Effects Of Shringrix and Bexsero?
Both vaccines are generally well tolerated.
The most common side effects include:
- soreness or swelling where the vaccine was given
- tiredness
- aching muscles
- headache
- a mild temperature
These effects usually settle within a day or two.
Shingrix in particular can leave the arm feeling quite tender for a day or so afterwards. This is a common reaction following vaccination.
Can I have these Vaccines With My Flu Vaccine?
Both the shingles vaccine and meningitis B vaccine can be given at the same appointment as your flu vaccination when appropriate.
If you are having several vaccines, we can talk through the timing with you.
Private Shingles & Meningitis B Vaccination at The Brook Surgery
If you would like to discuss the shingles vaccine, Shingrix, meningitis B vaccination or Bexsero, we run a dedicated Vaccine Clinic. We are happy to review your vaccination history and talk through what makes sense for you or your family.
Shingrix® shingles vaccine: £220 per dose — two doses required.
Bexsero® meningitis B vaccine: £118.50 per dose — two doses required.
Vaccinations can be given during a consultation with your doctor or with Dennis, our health care assistant.
