A member asked:

How contagious is shingles?

2 doctors weighed in across 2 answers

Very, sort of.: When a person has chicken pox they never completely get rid of the virus. It hides in nerve cells. As immunity falls over time the virus can reactivate, travel to the skin and causes shingles. If you have never had, or been vaccinated for, chicken pox you could catch chicken pox from someone with shingles. Shingles exposure is also dangerous for pregnant women and the immune suppressed.

Answered 7/19/2019

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Dr. William Nall answered

Specializes in Sports Medicine

Depends: If everyone you're around has either had chicken pox or has been vaccinated then you should be fine.

Answered 7/19/2019

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