Shringrix vaccination question

November 10, 2020 3:50 PM

What are the ramifications, consequences, issues, etc., if any, of getting the initial shingrix shot, but not the second one? Let's say a person has the first shot but doesn't get the second within the six-month window. Can that person get the second shot later, or even get both shots at a later date? Is there any danger in forgoing the second shot altogether?
posted by Dolley to Health & Fitness (8 answers total)

Best answer: I got the first shot in 2018 and, through a combination of my travel that year and a general shortage of the medicine in the area, ended up getting a second shot in 2019 and the medical professionals involved were unconcerned about the delay.
posted by channaher at 4:30 PM on November 10, 2020 [1 favorite]

Best answer: You can delay the second shot past the six-month window if necessary. Don't skip the second shot though, as you will have less protection without it.
posted by gudrun at 5:27 PM on November 10, 2020 [1 favorite]

Best answer: It’s interesting that the cdc website agrees with gudrun but the vaccine instructions for use don’t give any info about what to do if outside the 2-6 month window. I’d agree with gudrun too - definitely get the second shot. But gudrun do you have a paper on this or something like that? Hopefully one can also get a tirer measured later, which would be the best prediction of whether the vaccination was successful.
posted by Tandem Affinity at 5:41 PM on November 10, 2020 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Just going off of what my doctor told me. At the time I got the first shot, the vaccine availability was spotty and I asked my doctor what would happen if I missed the window for the second shot. (Turns out I managed to get the second shot on time).
posted by gudrun at 6:09 PM on November 10, 2020 [1 favorite]

Best answer: CDC’s General Recommendations for immunization cover this. The Lapsed Vaccination Schedule section says,

Vaccination providers should administer vaccines as close to the recommended intervals as possible. However, intervals between doses that are longer than recommended typically do not reduce final antibody concentrations, although protection might not be attained until the recommended number of doses has been administered. With some exceptions (e.g. oral typhoid vaccine) an interruption in the vaccination schedule does not require restarting the entire series of a vaccine or toxoid or addition of extra doses (7).

Shingrix is a common enough vaccine that if it were one of the exceptions, I feel confident they would have mentioned it.
posted by lakeroon at 6:56 PM on November 10, 2020 [5 favorites]

Best answer: I had to get my second shot 7 months after the first one, because of COVID lockdowns. The pharmacist wasn't concerned at all about the delay, when I got that second shot.
posted by spinifex23 at 9:16 PM on November 10, 2020 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks to all.
posted by Dolley at 6:11 AM on November 11, 2020

Best answer: I had the same situation and asked a pharmacists what would be the best course of action. He said, just get the 2nd vaccination as soon as possible. I just went ahead and got it that same day, which was close to 1 year after the first shot.

If you get the first shot but don't get the 2nd shot, you'll have reduced immunity--ie, a higher chance of getting shingles.

Pro tip: You do not under any circumstances want to get shingles.
posted by flug at 1:35 PM on November 11, 2020 [3 favorites]