Chenango County Health Officials Urge Residents to Get Shingles Vaccine

The Chenango County Health Department is urging people 60 years of age or older to have the shingles vaccine.

The shingles disease is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox, which stays in your body and may comeback as shingles many years later. If you have had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine you can get shingles.

Other symptoms of shingles are fever, headache, chills, upset stomach, and in rare occasions more serious symptoms.

The health department says that at least a million people a year in the United States get shingles.

For more information on shingles and the shingles vaccine, call the Chenango County Department of Health at 337-1660.