One in three Americans will suffer from shingles, a painful side-effect of the chicken pox virus. The virus lies dormant in most of us after we've had chicken pox, but not for all of us. There's a shingles vaccine that has huge advantages over the previous one, including being recommended for people as young as 50 and being safe for people with suppressed immune systems. But, since the FDA made it the recommended vaccine for shingles, its manufacturer, Glaxo Smithkline, has been unable to produce enough of the vaccine to meet demand.
That's not only a problem for people who want to avoid the next painful outbreak, it's also causing problems for people who've had one shot of it already. Shingrix is a two-dose vaccine---taken six months apart. But we're hearing stories from people who are worried they won't be able to find the second dose within that six-month window. Which means they'd have to start over again.
GSK has a web tool to help you find the pharmacy or other health care provider with available doses near you. Just click here to use it.