Shoppers Food & Pharmacy to offer shingles vaccine
Shoppers Food & Pharmacy has started offering vaccinations for shingles – a disease caused by the chicken pox virus that is becoming more common among Americans.
About one million people in the United States develops shingles1, which causes a painful rash, yet fewer than 10 percent of people who are most at risk of developing shingles get the vaccine, according to a report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Shingles is most common in adults age 60 and older.
“Shingles can be a debilitating condition for many adults with the risk increasing as they get older,” said Anthony Provenzano, pharmacy director of clinical programs for SUPERVALU, which owns Shoppers. “By getting the shingles vaccine from one of our specially trained and certified immunizing pharmacists, adults can reduce their chances of developing shingles or lessen the severity of pain and complications resulting from the illness.”
The National Shingles Foundation said if it isn’t treated, shingles can lead to stroke, especially if it’s near the eye.