Shingles Hits Treasure Coast Adults Younger, Vaccine Curbs Pain and Dementia Risk

The burning, stabbing agony of shingles doesn't wait for retirement age — and for the thousands of Treasure Coast adults living with diabetes, asthma, or chronic stress, the risk may be higher than they realize.

Shingles is a reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chicken pox. After a childhood infection, the virus lies dormant inside nerve roots for decades. When the immune system weakens, it can re-emerge, inflaming the nerve, breaking through the skin, and producing blisters and searing pain that can last weeks — or, for some, years. Roughly one-third of all Americans will develop shingles in their lifetime, according to public health data. Yet only 36% of adults over 50 have received at least one dose of the two-shot vaccine series, according to 2022 figures. Residents of Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties — where the population skews older than the state median — are squarely in the demographic most at risk.

Physicians recommend vaccination at age 50, when immune function typically begins to decline. Most insurance plans cover the shots at that threshold. But the disease regularly strikes younger people. Both emotional and physical stress can suppress immunity enough to let the dormant virus take hold, clinicians say. Recent research identifies diabetes and asthma as conditions that may accelerate risk in younger adults.

The case for vaccination has grown sharper with emerging science. A study published in the Journals of Gerontology in January found slower biological aging — measured at the molecular level, including reduced inflammation — among people who had received the shingles vaccine compared to those who had not, according to lead researcher Eileen Crimmins, a professor of gerontology at the University of Southern California. A separate December study linked the vaccine to a possible protective effect against dementia. Crimmins cautioned that her findings show correlation rather than cause and effect, but noted that Shingrix, the current vaccine, is stronger than its discontinued predecessor and may produce even greater benefits.

Early treatment is critical. Antiviral medications are most effective within the first few days of symptom onset — before a rash fully develops. Warning signs include tingling, skin sensitivity, and localized pain that may precede visible blisters by 24 to 48 hours. Between one and 10 percent of shingles patients develop post-herpetic neuralgia, or lasting nerve pain, a complication that can significantly curtail daily activity for years, according to a 2024 study.

Treasure Coast residents with questions about eligibility or coverage for the Shingrix vaccine are encouraged to contact their primary care provider or the county health departments in Martin, St. Lucie, or Indian River counties.

This article was generated with AI assistance using publicly available information. It was reviewed and approved by a human editor before publication. TC Sentinel uses AI writing tools in accordance with FTC guidelines.