DR SCURR: The unfair reason you're not being given a shingles vaccination in your 60s By Dr Martin Scurr Published: 17:14 BST, 5 August 2024 | Updated: 17:14 BST, 5 August 2024 e-mail View comments I'm 67 and have been told I am not eligible for the shingles vaccination. It seems so unfair that I'll have to wait until I'm 70, whereas those who 'turn 65' are eligible now. The whole campaign seems very confusing.
Can you explain? Eleri Kirk, Falmouth, Cornwall. Dr Scurr replies: You are quite right to be indignant. Shingles — or herpes zoster — affects one in four of us over the age of 50 at some stage, typically causing a painful blistering rash on one side, which can leave scars.
It's most common in the over-70s (for whom, in rare cases, it can be fatal), but I've also seen it in small children and teenagers. You do not develop shingles from contact with people. Instead it occurs when the virus which you contracted as chickenpox in childhood (varicella-zoster) becomes reactivated (the virus stays in your body but can be reactivated if your immune system is weakened).
The shingles vaccine should be made available to everyone over 50 says Dr Martin Scurr Unfortunately the reason you currently don't qualify for this important vaccine (called Shingrix and given as two injections) is rationing. The fact that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation came up with this bizarre and illogical scheme to limit distribution — presumably for reasons of cost — is something that frustrates most GPs. Currently the NHS says the vaccine is recommended for all adults 'turning 65' — as well as those aged 70 to 79 .
Anyone over 50 with a severely weakened immune system also qualifies. But as you have discovered, this leaves an odd gap for people who are over 65 but not yet 70. I think it should be made available to everyone over 50 — to do otherwise is unethical.
You are entitled to ask your GP to provide the injections privately, but this costs at least £100. I would urge you to consider this route. You could then send an invoice (and a copy of the receipt for payment) to your MP with the request that it is passed on to the Department of Health.
My 16-year-old daughter has abdominal migraines and migraine headaches. Both are debilitating — she's constantly fatigued and her joints ache. She has also experienced episodes of fast heart beats.
Blood tests were normal. Jenny Smith, Rye. Dr Scurr replies: Your daughter is at an age where her body is still evolving towards adulthood and her symptoms may reflect multiple aspects of her health.
First, for the benefit of other readers, let me explain what abdominal migraines are. Usually seen in children, these involve bouts of severe stomach pain, often with nausea. It's not known why they occur but they normally resolve after a few hours of rest.
Children usually grow out of them, although they often go on to develop migraine headaches later on. Most people find they have a key trigger for their migraine. Stress is often a factor, as are hormonal changes (in women), missing meals, sleep problems, bright lights, alcohol , heat and exercise.
Relief from stress can also be a trigger — which explains why you can get a migraine when you finally set off on holiday after hours of frantic preparations. Read More DR SCURR: How to stop teeth grinding..
. without wearing a mouth guard I'd suggest your daughter keeps a detailed migraine diary. This will enable her — and you — to see how her headaches, and perhaps abdominal pain, correlate to her sleeping patterns, eating habits, exercise levels and menstrual cycle.
There are useful apps for recording these, such as Migraine Buddy or Migraine Monitor (both available online). The Migraine Trust also has advice on how to keep a migraine history with details that may later be helpful to a doctor. As for her joint ache and heart beats, this could be related to her sensitivity to migraines.
Normal blood tests are one thing, but there is more to assessing health than that. Hopefully a diary over two to three months will assist with decision-making. In my view.
.. Coffee won't just perk you up Many patients worry that drinking coffee will give them high blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat.
But while it is true that caffeine does raise blood pressure for a short period of time after you consume it, a new study — published in the Journal of Hypertension, and based on data from 1,400 people over a ten-year period — found that regularly drinking coffee does not lead to the development of hypertension. Separately, another study has found regular coffee consumption won't cause abnormal heart rhythms. With previous research suggesting that coffee drinkers are less likely to develop liver disease, it seems that the transition from being a nation of tea drinkers to one where so many of the population are out there with a coffee clasped in one hand is no bad thing.
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Dr Scurr cannot enter into personal correspondence. Replies should be taken in a general context and always consult your own GP with any health worries NHS Share or comment on this article: DR SCURR: The unfair reason you're not being given a shingles vaccination in your 60s e-mail Add comment.
