The Claim:
A post with a graphic photo claims without any evidence that people vaccinated against COVID could experience worsened cases of shingles.
The Facts:
Shingles happens when the varicella-zoster virus (VZV)—the same virus that causes chickenpox—becomes active again in the body. After someone has chickenpox, the virus stays in the body in a resting state. It can become active again later in life, especially if the immune system is weak or under stress.
There have been a few reports of people getting shingles after receiving a COVID vaccine, but research shows that COVID infection itself may be more likely to trigger shingles.
The photo in the tweet shows a common case of shingles. It usually appears as a painful rash that follows a nerve path on one side of the body. There are many photos of shingles as severe taken before 2020–before the COVID vaccine existed.
Disclaimer: Science is always evolving and our understanding of these topics may have evolved too since this was originally posted. Be sure to check out our most recent posts and browse the latest Just the Facts Topics for the latest.
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