Shingles vaccination for adults

Who this is recommended for

• All adults aged 50 and above, whether or not you remember having chickenpox
• Adults with diabetes, chronic kidney disease or heart disease, in whom shingles is more common and more severe
• Adults who are immunocompromised, including those on biologic therapy or after transplantation

Schedule

Two doses. The Indian prescribing information gives the second dose two months after the first, and allows the interval to be stretched to six months if that suits you better.

Timing

Any time of year, but not during an active episode of shingles. Blood testing for previous chickenpox is not needed; over 99 per cent of Indian adults over 50 have already been exposed.

What is available, and what we use

There is no choice to make here. This is the only shingles vaccine marketed in India, and because it is recombinant rather than live it can be given to people on immunosuppressive treatment, which the older live vaccine could not.

Product names and prices are listed so you know what you are being given and what it costs. They are for identification only and do not constitute a recommendation of any manufacturer. Prices shown are the manufacturer's maximum retail price per dose as at 12 August 2026; manufacturers and the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority revise these from time to time, and your actual cost is confirmed before anything is administered.

After this vaccine

• This vaccine causes more reactions than most. A sore arm is expected, and many people also feel tired, achy, shivery or feverish for two to three days.
• In the trials about one person in six felt unwell enough to stay away from normal work for a day or two. Plan a light day after each dose.
• These reactions are short-lived and are not a reason to miss the second dose. The second dose is what gives lasting protection.
• New tingling, numbness or weakness in the arms or legs in the six weeks after a dose is very rare. If it happens, see a doctor the same day.

What is normal after any vaccine, and the warning signs that need a doctor, are in After your vaccine.

What we will not gloss over

• Do not vaccinate during an acute attack of shingles; wait until it has settled.
• If you previously had the older live zoster vaccine, wait at least eight weeks.
• Use in immunocompromised adults aged 18 to 49 may be outside the Indian product licence; we will discuss this with you individually.