NYT Newer formulations are even more effective at preventing illnesses that commonly afflict seniors — perhaps even dementia.Kim Beckham, an insurance agent in Victoria, Texas, had seen friends suffer so badly from shingles that she wanted to receive the first approved shingles vaccine as soon as it became available, even if she had to pay for it out of pocket.
Her doctor and several pharmacies turned her down because she was below the recommended age at the time, which was 60. So in 2016, she celebrated her 60th birthday at her local CVS.
“I was there when they opened,” Ms. Beckham recalled. After her Zostavax shot, she said, “I felt really relieved.” She has since received the newer, more effective shingles vaccine, as well as the pneumonia shot, the R.S.V. vaccine, annual flu shots and all recommended Covid vaccinations.