Shingles Support Society

Find answers to all your questions about shingles, about postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) and the shingles vaccine.

Shingle and post-herpetic neuralgia are caused by the same virus: we call it chickenpox when we first catch it.  The virus hides away in the body and can appear again at any age. When this happens, we call it shingles. This can be at any age, but it is more likely to occur as we get older.  Some people develop pain in the affected area that lasts long after the shingles blisters have healed up. This is called postherpetic neuralgia (PHN for short). There is a vaccine for people in their 70s which you can get from your GP.

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