The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) now recommends that people age 50 and older get the shingles vaccine – 10 years younger than a previous recommendation.

Nearly one out of every three people in the United States will develop shingles (herpes zoster), with the greatest number of cases occurring in people in their 50s. Some will suffer an extremely painful and disfiguring complication called herpes zoster ophthalmicus that can cause blindness. Even though an effective vaccine is available, many continue to go unvaccinated.

If the virus infects the nerves of the eye, it can lead to an eyelid rash, eye infections, pink eye, infection and inflammation of the cornea, dry eye, blurry vision and sensitivity to light, pain and swelling inside the eye, swelling of the optic nerve behind the eye and breakdown of the cornea which can be severe enough to require a corneal transplant.

Early symptoms of shingles are pain, itching, and tingling of the skin. Redness and numbness lead to a rash. Blisters break open and form scabs. Though the blisters and scabs can last a few weeks, the pain can last much longer, especially in older patients age 65 years and above. While the pain usually resolves in a few weeks or months, it can be severe and debilitating. For some patients, the pain lasts many years, interfering with daily life.

"Just do it. That's what I tell my patients," said AAO clinical spokesperson Dr Dianna Seldomridge. "The vaccine is safe and effective. The health consequences of going unvaccinated are significant, as are the economic costs. The medical costs from treating shingles and its complications are estimated to be US$1 billion."

The herpes zoster virus is the same virus that causes chicken pox. More than 95% of people born in the United States who are older than 40 have had chicken pox. The virus lingers in the body and can be reactivated as shingles many years later. This can be due to the body's natural aging process, or anything that weakens the immune system. It is unclear why the risk has increased by almost 70% in the past 15 years, but it is clear that shingles is no longer just an older person's disease. Research shows that the risk goes up after age 40 and rises sharply at age 50.