Is a shingles vaccine right for you?

Having watched a loved one experience shingles, I know that it's a condition that's better avoided. Shingles are caused by the chickenpox virus, which lies dormant in anyone who's had the chickenpox. When a body is under stress, the virus sometimes sees its opening and becomes active -- traveling down the nerve endings to the skin. The result is a painful, burning rash and sometimes a complication can develop that makes that pain linger.

There is a vaccine for shingles, but as this article from NYT points out, it's far from perfect. It's approved only for those between the ages of 60 and 69, works about half the time, and is expensive. But when it is used appropriately, those who developed shingles have less severe cases. If you fall in the age group that qualifies for the vaccine, you might want to take a read and then talk to your doctor about whether the vaccine is for you.