By Sam Bennison

To Your Health

Broadcaster speaks out on the importance of the Shingles vaccine

Dec 19, 2023 | 11:55 AM

PRINCE GEORGE—Searing pain, rashes and fluid filled blisters that burst and crust over. All of these are symptoms of their varicella virus, also known as shingles, and for Tamara Stanners her vision was at risk.

Tamara’s shingle journey began with her going for a walk with her son and discussing booking a shingles appointment. She had chicken pox as a kid and was at risk but with her busy schedule she couldn’t make time for it.

The next day, Tamara’s symptoms began. A few days later as her symptoms began to worsen she made a trip to the hospital.

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“They took one look at me and said, yeah, shingles. It normally doesn’t happen on the face like that,” explains Tamara Stanners. “They were very worried because of my eye, because I had them all around my eye and they’ve been known to cause vision loss. So then I had to go to specialists after that.”

Fortunately, Tamara was fine but she still says that three weeks later the symptoms persist. In her viral Tiktok video, Tamara urges people to get the vaccine as soon as possible.

Photo Credit: Mayo Clinic

When you get chicken pox the virus will hide out in your spine until it is released by a stressor. This will cause the virus to spread across the nerves creating the distinctive rash.

If you want to protect yourself from Shingles there is a highly effective vaccine. The vaccine is recommended for anyone 50 years and older and is covered for all First Nation Elders who are 60 years and older through the First Nations Health Authority.

If you got the vaccine before 2006, the CDC recommends to get the new vaccine because the old one is only about 60% effective. Meanwhile the new Shingles vaccine is around 90% effective at prevent an outbreak.

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reddit: u/Sam_CKPG

Email: sam.bennison@pattisonmedia.com