The totally off-topic thread

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Well I've heard everything today. When people get things so very wrong who should know better, it makes you realise there is almost zero hope for the average person in the street.
 
Sydney Morning Herald had an article on shingles today. If you are over 50 you might want to pay attention if you have ever had chicken pox.
 
Sydney Morning Herald had an article on shingles today. If you are over 50 you might want to pay attention if you have ever had chicken pox.

Yep, my 80yo mum had it earlier this year, and it lasted ages. My dad had it years ago too. I have had chicken pox so I'm just waiting my turn! Might have to use some sick leave. ;)
 
There is a shingles injection now available in Australia. We had ours in the US when it was not available in Australia a few years ago. One of our friends has it at the moment and it is not completely finished after 2 months.
It can be avoided.
 
Yes you can.

So if that's the case how can a vaccination help? I thought the purpose of those was to develop antibodies, which also develop when you actually experience the disease. Or is there something else at play.

Is there a known "gap" between having chicken pox and getting shingles?
 
I took that answer as being a statement that it is possible to get shingles twice, that having had it once will not prevent getting it again. (all other things being equal). It doesn't seem to be a comment about the vaccine. Not sure we can draw any conclusions about vaccination from the fact that it is possible to get shingles twice. In fact, the vaccine thing is a separate question entirely.
 
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The shingles vaccination may fully work or if not I believe the intensity of the pain from a reduced outbreak is worth you getting the shot. Currently we know 3 who have a shingles outbreak and none have had the shot. In fact the latest one doesn't now want the shot as it "might hurt". Well it didn't hurt and the fact is you can get shingles more than once.
 
I took that answer as being a statement that it is possible to get shingles twice, that having had it once will not prevent getting it again. (all other things being equal). It doesn't seem to be a comment about the vaccine. Not sure we can draw any conclusions about vaccination from the fact that it is possible to get shingles twice. In fact, the vaccine thing is a separate question entirely.

Yes. I am drawing conclusions from cove and PrincessF re contracting the illness and the manner in which vaccinations work and asking if the two might operate differently in the case of shingles if you can contract it twice. (Phew, long sentence)
 
There is a shingles injection now available in Australia. We had ours in the US when it was not available in Australia a few years ago. One of our friends has it at the moment and it is not completely finished after 2 months.
It can be avoided.

Would love to know some tips on how to avoid it please cove ?
 
While wikipedia is not authorative, comment their under prevention that the vaccine only reduces rate by 1.75% (1 in 70)
 
My sons have not had chicken pox due to them having their shots as children. They don't need a shingles shot when they turn 50.
Being close to 65 I kept seeing friends get messed around for months with shingles attacks. The US Government recommends everyone over 50 who has had chicken pox get the shot so I went to the back of the Ralph's supermarket in California to their pharmac_ to get the injection by the pharmacist. They mix it and wait for the fridge sourced fluid to warm up before injecting so it doesn't hurt.
 
Most only have shingles once.The chicken pox virus remains in the body in nerve cells and can reactivate years later and is more common in people
over 50.
The chicken pox vaccine protects against both chicken pox and shingles. For over 50's the Zoster vaccine is used.
People cannot catch shingles from someone who has shingles, but if you have never had chicken pox or the chicken pox vaccine you can catch
chicken pox from someone who has shingles. The virus spreads from person to person in the fluid from the shingles blisters.
 
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Argument for a four day week.

In Australia up until the 1980s, we had a strong tradition of trading increasing productivity for less working hours. We were the first nation to win the eight hour day.
But something changed. During the 1990s, we took the money instead. Those of us in full-time employment started to work longer hours. Increasing productivity went to increasing profits and wages (for some at least). In the 2000s, we continued to pay out the dividends of increasing productivity but the employers and their shareholders cut wage earners out of the bargain. Productivity overshot wage growth – which is just a fancy way of saying your boss (or his bank) took your money. Us working harder is no longer a basis for our shared prosperity, although it is the foundation for somebody else’s profit. Our future prosperity won’t come from us individually working harder and longer – some of the poorest people in the world endure lives of unceasing toil.

https://overland.org.au/2014/12/for-a-four-day-working-week/
 
On my latest visit to the US every manufacturer was installing robotic equipment to make things faster,more accurately and at a lower cost. This revolution is heading our way.
 
Speaking of illness, mumps is sweeping through the National Hockey League.

Many teams have had several players struck down since the start of the season in October.

ImageUploadedByAustFreqFly1418436576.905117.jpg
 
So if that's the case how can a vaccination help? I thought the purpose of those was to develop antibodies, which also develop when you actually experience the disease. Or is there something else at play.

Is there a known "gap" between having chicken pox and getting shingles?

Getting shingles doesn't give everyone complete immunity to the disease. Its recurrence rate is anywhere from 5% up to the same incidence rate as getting Shingles for the first time. It's a bit of a different beast to getting Chickenpox which does itself (in most cases) cause immunity to catching Chickenpox again. The virus lies dormant in nerve roots and as people age and their immunity naturally wanes the virus can replicate in these nerve roots and cause Shingles.

The gap between getting Chickenpox and shingles is of the order of decades in most people as it's very rare in the under 50's.
 
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