You cannot catch shingles from another person

Shingles is not contagious in the way a cold or flu is. You cannot get shingles from touching someone who has it, breathing the same air, or sharing food or drinks. Shingles develops only in people who have already had chickenpox—it comes from a virus that has been dormant in your nerve cells for years, sometimes decades.

What you can catch from someone with shingles is chickenpox itself, but only if you have never had chickenpox and have not been vaccinated against it. The fluid in the shingles blisters contains the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. If that fluid touches your skin and you are not immune, you could develop chickenpox—not shingles.

Key Takeaways

  • Shingles develops when the chickenpox virus, dormant in your nerve cells since a past infection, reactivates later in life.
  • You cannot catch shingles from another person, but an unvaccinated person without immunity can catch chickenpox from shingles blisters.
  • Risk of shingles increases with age, a weakened immune system, physical or emotional stress, and certain medications.
  • The shingles vaccine significantly reduces your risk of developing the condition and can lessen severity if you do get it.

Why the chickenpox virus reactivates

After you recover from chickenpox, the virus does not leave your body. It retreats into nerve cells near your spinal cord and remains there, inactive, for the rest of your life. In most people, it stays dormant. But in about one in three people, the virus reactivates at some point, traveling along the nerve to the skin and causing shingles.

Doctors do not fully understand why reactivation happens in some people and not others, but several factors make it more likely. Age is the strongest one: shingles becomes more common after age 50, and risk climbs steeply after 60. Your immune system naturally weakens with age, giving the dormant virus a better chance to break free.

A weakened immune system from any cause raises your risk. This includes HIV, cancer treatment, organ transplant, or long-term use of steroids or other immunosuppressant medications. Physical stress—a serious illness, surgery, or injury—can trigger reactivation. So can emotional stress, though the link is less clear-cut.

Who is most likely to develop shingles

Anyone who has had chickenpox can develop shingles, but certain groups face higher risk. People over 50 make up the majority of shingles cases. People with weakened immune systems—from HIV, cancer, or medications—are at much greater risk and may develop shingles multiple times.

People with a history of significant physical or emotional stress sometimes develop shingles during or shortly after the stressful period. People taking medications that suppress the immune system, such as those used after organ transplant or for autoimmune conditions, also face elevated risk.

If you had chickenpox as a child, you carry the virus for life and could develop shingles at any age, though it is uncommon before age 40. The older you are, the more likely you are to develop shingles at some point.

How the shingles vaccine reduces your risk

The shingles vaccine, called Shingrix, works by strengthening your immune system's memory of the varicella-zoster virus. It does not prevent infection entirely, but it significantly reduces the chance that the dormant virus will reactivate. Studies show it prevents shingles in about 90 percent of vaccinated people.

If a vaccinated person does develop shingles, the illness is usually much milder—fewer blisters, less pain, and a faster recovery. The vaccine also reduces the risk of postherpetic neuralgia, a painful complication that can last for months or years after the rash heals.

Shingrix is given as two shots, two to six months apart. The CDC recommends it for all adults 50 and older, and for younger adults with weakened immune systems. It is also recommended for people who previously received an older shingles vaccine called Zostavax.

What happens when the virus reactivates

When the dormant virus wakes up, it multiplies inside the nerve cells and travels along the nerve to the skin. This journey causes the first symptoms: burning, tingling, or pain in a band-shaped area on one side of your body. You might feel this for several days before any rash appears.

The rash then develops in the same area—usually a stripe across the chest, abdomen, or face, or a patch on one arm or leg. The blisters fill with fluid containing live virus and eventually crust over and heal, typically within two to four weeks. The pain can persist even after the rash is gone, sometimes for months.

Protecting others if you have shingles

If you develop shingles, you cannot spread shingles itself to other people. However, you can spread chickenpox to anyone who has never had chickenpox and is not vaccinated. Keep the blisters covered with a bandage or clothing, wash your hands frequently, and avoid contact with people who have never had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine—especially infants, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems.

Once the blisters have crusted over completely, you are no longer contagious. Until then, direct contact with the fluid in the blisters is the main way the virus spreads to others.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get shingles more than once?

Yes, but it is uncommon. Most people who develop shingles have it only once. However, it can recur, especially in people with weakened immune systems. Each episode typically affects a different area of the body.

If I have never had chickenpox, can I get shingles?

No. Shingles only develops in people who have had chickenpox or received the chickenpox vaccine. The virus must be dormant in your nerve cells first. If you have never had either, you cannot develop shingles.

Does the chickenpox vaccine prevent shingles?

The chickenpox vaccine does not prevent shingles directly, but it does reduce the risk somewhat. The shingles vaccine (Shingrix) is much more effective at preventing shingles and is recommended for adults 50 and older.

Can stress alone cause shingles?

Stress may trigger reactivation of the dormant virus in some people, but it is not the only cause. Age, a weakened immune system, and other factors play a role. Stress is one of several possible triggers, not a may provide cause.

What should I do if I think I have shingles?

Contact your doctor as soon as possible. Antiviral medications work best when started within 72 hours of the rash appearing. Your doctor can confirm the diagnosis and discuss treatment options to reduce pain and speed healing.