He admitted that his complacency led to delayed treatment for his initial shingles outbreak. The blisters burst, and the fluid spread, covering half of his face with lesions, requiring several weeks of treatment to improve. Five years later, the disease recurred, causing much more intense pain than the initial episode.

At the hospital, doctors informed him that his advanced age, coupled with chronic kidney disease and a weakened immune system, put him at high risk for both contracting and re-experiencing shingles. Recently, Mr. Sau visited VNVC Ba Tri Vaccination Center to receive the shingles vaccine.

Similarly, Ms. Nga, 53, from An Dong ward, TP HCM, recently went to VNVC District 5 Vaccination Center to get vaccinated against shingles, having witnessed her own mother endure post-shingles pain. Her mother, over 80 years old, contracted shingles about two years ago on her back. What began as isolated blisters spread into large patches.

"The worst was when it rained or was windy; she couldn't sleep, moaning all night, and I didn't know how to help her," Ms. Nga recounted. "After that, my mother got vaccinated to prevent reinfection," she added, stating her desire to prevent the disease to avoid similar pain.

Ms. Nga receives a shingles vaccination at VNVC District 5, TP HCM, for prevention. Photo: Khanh Hoa.

Doctor Tran Thi Xuan Yen, Chief Physician at VNVC District 5 Vaccination Center, explained that shingles is an acute infection caused by the varicella zoster virus. This is also the agent that previously caused chickenpox. After recovering from chickenpox, the virus remains dormant in the nerve ganglia. When the immune system weakens due to factors like advanced age, chronic diseases, prolonged stress, or the use of immunosuppressants, the virus reactivates and causes shingles.

Most shingles patients do not experience a recurrence; however, individuals with compromised immune systems still face a risk of contracting shingles two or three times. Multiple studies indicate that the recurrence rate for shingles ranges from 2% to 18% in the general population.

Symptoms of recurrent shingles are similar to the initial episode: patients may experience fever, headache, tingling, and burning pain in the affected skin area. Subsequently, blisters begin to appear on the skin, either singly or in large patches, causing pain, stinging, and a burning sensation. Shingles typically affects one side of the body, along the nerves in the back, chest, neck, shoulders, arms, or face.

Individuals with weakened immune systems are at risk of recurrent shingles. Illustration: Vecteezy.

Shingles can lead to complications, most commonly post-herpetic neuralgia, which results in insomnia, exhaustion, and depression. Additionally, shingles can cause complications such as vision loss or blindness, and partial facial paralysis.

Currently, shingles can be prevented with a vaccine, reducing the risk of contracting the disease by 97% in individuals over 50 and decreasing complications by more than 90%. Individuals aged 50 and above receive two doses, administered two months apart; those aged 18 with underlying medical conditions receive two doses, one month apart.

Furthermore, Doctor Yen advised everyone to maintain a healthy lifestyle, ensure adequate nutrition suitable for their physical condition, drink enough water, get sufficient sleep, increase fruit and vegetable intake, exercise regularly, reduce stress, and avoid contact with shingles patients while their blisters are present.

Hoang Duong