Shingles, the painful and blistery rash that arises when the chickenpox virus becomes reactivated, can be contagious, but only for people who are not already immune to chickenpox. Those who have never had chickenpox or been vaccinated against it are at risk for developing chickenpox — not shingles — if they come in contact with fluid from the blisters of a shingles patient.
The blisters are contagious until they crust over, “and people should keep them covered,” said Dr. Pritish K. Tosh, an infectious disease specialist with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
He noted that it’s important to “make sure people who are at risk not come in contact with these lesions.” Those at risk include anyone who has never had chickenpox or has not yet been vaccinated. Special caution should be taken with pregnant women or those with a compromised immune system, who may not know whether they are immune to the disease.
I’m planning to get the new Shingles vaccine soon.