

However, we’re not seeing this variant cause the same type of surges in overall cases that omicron did when it entered the population last winter. The XBB.1.5 virus has quickly become a higher percentage of total COVID cases in the United States. The XBB.1.5 variant has a mutation virologists believe is helping the virus better bind to cells and thus be more transmissible. The XBB family of variants emerged a few months ago and caught virologists’ attention because it contains more mutations to evade immunity than any other variant. Here, Pekosz explains what virologists are seeing, what this new variant means for case rates and treatments, and why it’s so important for more people to get the bivalent booster. Virologists including Andy Pekosz, a professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, are paying attention. If you get shingles after being vaccinated, the symptoms can be much milder.Īsk your GP surgery if you can get the vaccine on the NHS.This article was updated on January 9, 2023, to reflect updated CDC data.įour weeks ago, the XBB.1.5 variant caused less than 10% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. It helps reduce your risk of getting shingles. I strongly urge all those eligible to protect themselves by taking up the offer of a vaccine when they are contacted by their GP.” How do I get the shingles vaccine?Ī shingles vaccine is available on the NHS for people in their 70s. The infection can be spread to other people while the rash oozes fluid.ĭr Ramsay added: “Two doses of vaccine are highly effective in reducing your risk of getting shingles, or if you do develop shingles, reduce the severity of your symptoms. People who have not previously had chickenpox can get chickenpox from a person with shingles. Shingles is not spread from person to person because it is caused by the chickenpox virus.
#Covid symptoms timeline with vaccine skin#
"A rash on both the left and right of your body is unlikely to be shingles."īlotches on the skin can become itchy blisters "that ooze fluid" before they scab over.

The rash "appears as blotches on your skin, on one side of your body only," the NHS explained.

It can also appear on the genitals, eyes and face. Shingles is also known for the rash that appears and will usually appear on a person's chest or stomach. "Older people and those with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable." The NHS said the first signs can be "a tingling or painful feeling in an area of skin" and "a headache or feeling generally unwell."ĭr Mary Ramsay, Director of Immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency, said: "Shingles is an extremely painful condition and complications can be long-lasting.

There are a number of signs that indicate the onset of shingles. So what are the symptoms? Signs of shingles National Director of Vaccinations and Screening at NHS England, Steve Russell, said: “While the country has been focused on the NHS’s successful Covid and flu vaccine programmes, there remain other preventable illnesses like Shingles which can be fatal to those most at risk."
