Shingles (Herpes Zoster) Vaccine

Common side effects include:

• Some people may feel faint after the vaccination
• Sit for 15 minutes to avoid fainting
• Pain, redness and swelling at the injection site
• You may place a cold compress over the affected area for relief
• You may take paracetamol for pain relief
• Headache, muscle aches, fatigue
• These side effects usually go away on its own
• You may take paracetamol to treat the headache or muscle aches

Please see a doctor if these side effects do not get better or become worse.

Rare but serious side effects: 
The symptoms of a drug allergy include one or more of the following:

• Swollen face/eyes/lips/tongue
• Difficulty in breathing
• Itchy skin rashes over your whole body

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should inform your healthcare professional immediately.

• You are allergic to this vaccine or any of the other ingredients of this vaccine including neomycin antibiotic
• You are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding
• You are taking any other medications
• You had a serious adverse reaction (e.g.anaphylaxis-a severe allergic reaction) to the previous dose of the vaccination
• You are currently not feeling well and having a fever
• For Recombinant Shingles Vaccine
  • You have a history of bleeding disorders
• For Live Shingles Vaccine
  • You have a weak immune system due to an illness such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection or cancer
  • You are currently on medications which weakens your immune system (e.g. high dose steroids)