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Shingles - Management
What information and advice should I give about shingles?
- Explain that only a person who has not had chickenpox or the varicella vaccine can catch chickenpox from a person with shingles; the person is infectious until their lesions have dried (usually 5–7 days after onset). Unlike chickenpox, shingles can only be passed on by direct skin contact with the area affected.
- Advise people to:
- Avoid pregnant women (if they cannot recall having had chickenpox), immunocompromised people, and babies younger than 1 month of age (unless it is their own baby, who will have maternally-derived antibodies against the virus).
- Keep the rash clean and dry to reduce the risk of bacterial superinfection.
- Avoid use of topical antibiotics and adhesive dressings, as they can cause irritation and delay rash healing.
- Seek medical advice if there is an increase in temperature, as this may indicate bacterial infection.
- Avoid work, school, or day care if the rash is weeping and cannot be covered. If the lesions have dried or the rash is covered, avoidance of these activities is not necessary.
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