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Guide (reply to Anonymous)

Hello Anonymous,

It is important to differentiate a rash, caused by an allergic reaction to the influenza vaccine and the painful rash associated with shingles.

A person may develop a severe allergic reaction, such as a rash,
hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue, if he or she is allergic to any ingredient in Influenza Virus Vaccine, including egg proteins or egg products.

Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash. Although shingles can occur anywhere on your body, it most often appears as a single stripe of blisters that wraps around either the left or the right side of your torso.

Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus — the same virus that causes chickenpox. After you've had chickenpox, the virus lies inactive in nerve tissue near your spinal cord and brain. Years later, the virus may reactivate as shingles.

Anyone who's had chickenpox may develop shingles. After you recover from chickenpox, the virus can enter your nervous system and lie dormant for years. Eventually, it may reactivate and travel along nerve pathways to your skin — producing shingles.

The reason for the encore is unclear. But it may be due to lowered immunity to infections as you grow older. Shingles is more common in older adults and in people who have weak immune systems.

Maryann

January 22, 2016 - 9:41am

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