How long does the shingles vaccine last?

Answer 1

You will be protected for life against that exactsubtype/strain of the flu virus that was contained in the vaccine (or that you caught which caused you to be ill), and you will likely also have some cross-over protection from very similar strains.

However, viruses do mutate easily, and if later you are infected with another strain or mutation of the virus, and if your immune system does not recognize it any longer because it has mutated to a different form, then you may have no immunity to that new strain. This is one reason we need to take annual vaccines for the rapidly mutating common seasonal flu strains.

Answer 2

For the pandemic Swine Flu, you could be protected for life against that exact strain of the H1N1/09 virus that was contained in the vaccine or that you caught which caused you to be ill, and you will likely also have some cross-over protection from very similar strains. There is some concern that flu vaccinations can lose effectiveness over time, and there are studies ongoing to determine length of efficacy of current flu vaccines, but the current thinking is that immunity to swine flu from the vaccines is long term and could be up to lifelong.

However, viruses do mutate easily, and if later you are infected with another strain or mutation of the H1N1 virus, and if your immune system does not recognize it any longer because it has mutated to a different form, then you may have no immunity to that new strain. This is one reason we need to take annual vaccines for the rapidly mutating common seasonal flu strains.

See the related links section below for a link to an article on the Time/CNN Health and Science web site about this subject. Here is an excerpt from that article:

"It turns out, however, that those antibodies [developed from a flu vaccine or from having the flu] - unlike those against illnesses like tetanus or whooping cough - can provide a formidable and life-long defense against the flu, as long as they're pitted against the correct strain. For an explanation, TIME asks Eric Altschuler, assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and co-author of a recent paper in Nature about antibodies to the 1918 pandemic flu virus.

Q: How long do flu antibodies last?

A: According to our study, it appears they can last the entire lifespan of the human organism - 90 years plus..."

More:

There was a swine flu vaccination program in the U. S. in 1976. There seems to be a very good chance that immunity attained then persists today, even for life. It may be that the few of us who ignored the Urban Legend fears of a "tainted" vaccine and got that shot in '76 have real protection this time around. See the link below to the Time article quoted above.

And more:

The CDC answers the question, "Do those that have been previously vaccinated against the 1976 swine influenza need to get vaccinated against the 2009 H1N1 influenza?" with this response:

"The 1976 swine flu virus and the 2009 H1N1 virus are different enough that its unlikely a person vaccinated in 1976 will have full protection from the 2009 H1N1. People vaccinated in 1976 should still be given the 2009 H1N1 vaccine."

If you have a healthy immune system and have developed immunity from the vaccination of A-H1N1/09 vaccine, you will have life-long protection from this exact type of flu virus. However, the reason we have to take annual seasonal flu shots is because viruses have the ability to mutate easily into slightly different viruses. Sometimes our immunity to prior virus strains still gives us cross-over protection, but other times the mutation makes it different enough that we are not able to be protected from the newly mutated virus. So, as long as there are no mutations to A-H1N1/09 that make it unrecognized by our immune system as the same virus, we will have protection for life (as long as our immune systems remain healthy). See the related questions below for more information.

Answer 3

The standard shingles vaccine should last a lifetime, though recent research suggests that it starts losing its efficacy after thirty years or so. As shingles can be quite dangerous it would be wise to keep it topped up even before this as there are no harmful side effects.

Answer 4

These are vaccines used for the treatment of meningitis. The vaccine kicks in in two weeks. The protection is expected to last between 3 to 5 years.

Answer 5

15 years ish