Shingles Vaccine - Done!
We just got out second dose of the Shringrix vaccine, and things couldn't have worked out better!
A year or two ago, I started investigating vaccines against shingles - we had both had chicken pox as kids, and didn't want to risk the later-in-life shingles. At that time, the only available vaccine in France was the single-dose Zostavax, which didn't have very high efficacy. I also personally knew someone who got it, and had a pretty strong reaction. By then, it had been discontinued in the US.
Since Shringrix is a 2-dose vaccine, with the second injection 2-6 months after the first, I looked at how and where to manage that.
In the US, I could have bought a single dose, using a discount card, for $150. But then I'd have to find a way to get the second - I can't manage 2 months in the states.
It was available in both Spain and Switzerland, and either would be a doable set of trips. Both required a consultation and injection fee on top of the vaccine (~185€ each dose).
Well, I decided to procrastinate a bit. A few weeks after I got back to France, I discovered that the Shringrix vaccine had *just* been approved by France! In April, I asked my doctor about it; he said it wasn't covered, but he gave us prescriptions for it. I went to the pharmacy, and they gave me the price - 270€! (I still don't know if that was per dose, or for the course. I was too surprised to ask...)
I tucked that prescription away, and let things percolate.
Time was running out (prescriptions are good for a year), and we had a pharmacy run scheduled for December anyway. I decided to ask again about the price, thinking to clear up what the total would be. Well, knock me down with a feather! It had just moved to the "covered" list the week before! It's now 60€ per dose, plus ~8€ injection fee! We immediately ordered the first dose, and returned the next day for it 🙂.
Now here it is, February, and we just finished our second - we're a little tired, jittery, and have sore arms, but we feel very satisfied! And safe!
Does it pay to procrastinate?
Sometimes!
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