Went for my Covid-Flu boosters yesterday and thought I’d try my luck getting the shingles jab again. I tried a couple of years ago only to be told I’d missed my moment – the 2-year age window when it’s covered by the health care system. Otherwise it costs about 300€ for the two-jab vaccine. But then I remembered that the year I became eligible (2022) was the same year I got Covid TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE BOOSTER DATE. So I had to postpone getting the booster for five months. By that time nobody thought to tell me I was also eligible for the shingles one (like they had done with the pneumonia jab the previous year). And so I let it slide until I started reading that getting the shingles jab was a very good idea for all kinds of reasons. Anyhow, I thought I’d try again today.

Luckily the vaccination consulting room was pretty quiet and when the guy was checking on the computer to see which vaccines I was up for I asked if I could also get the shingles one. Nope, sorry, blah blah… so then I told them my tale of woe, missing my moment, and that I’d heard it was also helpful for people with cardiological issues – like me! – and was told I would have to get my GP to make an appointment if they thought it was warranted (are you kidding? tried that one last year). So then I gave them (there were about four of them standing around) my saddest eyes, looking from one to the other and saying… are you sure there’s no other way??

And thank god computer guy gave in and shouted “do we have this one in the fridge?” (they did!) and I was in. I got Covid-Flu in the right arm and Shingles in the left, and I go back for the second one end of December. Phew! Arms are pretty sore at the moment but it’s worth it.