ALBANY, Ga. -- The Southwest Public Health District is
encouraging those 60 years of age or older to take advantage of
the shingles vaccine, a news release from the district
indicates. Along with post-herpetic neuralgia, shingles can
cause eye problems, depression, anxiety, difficulty
concentrating, loss of appetite and weight loss, officials say.
The disease is caused by the same virus responsible for
chickenpox. After someone recovers from chickenpox, the virus
remains dormant in the body only to reactivate without warning
years later. Shingles can't be passed from one person to
another, however, a person with shingles can pass the virus to
somebody else. If someone who has never had chickenpox is
infected with it, they will develop chickenpox, not shingles,
health officials say. The only protection against shingles is a
vaccination. Doses of the vaccine are available at local health
departments, public health officials say. The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention doesn't have a recommendation for
ro