Shingles and Travel: Why This Vaccine Deserves a Spot on Your Pre-Travel Checklist

When most people think about travel vaccines, they think of hepatitis A, typhoid, yellow fever — the vaccines tied to specific destinations and disease risks abroad. Shingles doesn’t usually make that list. But for travellers over 50, or those with conditions that weaken the immune system, shingles is one of the most important preventable health risks to address before you leave home.

Shingles Awareness Week (February 24 to March 2) is a timely reminder that vaccine-preventable illness isn’t always exotic. Sometimes it’s already living dormant in your own nervous system, waiting for the right trigger. Travel — with its physical demands, disrupted sleep, and immune stress — can be exactly that trigger.

What Is Shingles?

Shingles (herpes zoster) is a viral infection caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus — the same virus responsible for chickenpox. If you’ve had chickenpox, the virus never fully leaves your body. It settles into your nerve tissue and lies dormant, sometimes for decades. When your immune system is under stress or weakened by age, illness, or medications, the virus can reactivate as shingles.

Shingles is far more common than most people expect. Approximately 1 in 3 Canadians will develop shingles in their lifetime, with risk increasing sharply after age 50. Canada records roughly 130,000 new cases annually.

Recognizing Shingles

Shingles often begins with warning signs that precede the visible rash by several days:

• Pain, burning, tingling, or heightened skin sensitivity on one side of the body or face
• Fever, headache, or fatigue

A red rash then develops — typically a stripe across one side of the torso, though it can appear on the face or around the eye. The rash progresses to fluid-filled blisters that eventually crust over and heal, usually within two to four weeks. Pain is the defining feature, and for many patients, it is the most debilitating aspect of the illness.

Can Shingles Lead to Serious Illness?

Yes — and this is where many people underestimate the condition. Shingles is not simply an uncomfortable rash. Its most common and serious complication is postherpetic neuralgia (PHN): severe, lingering nerve pain that persists long after the rash has healed. PHN can last months or years and is often described as a burning, electric-shock-like pain that disrupts sleep, concentration, and daily function.

Other potential complications include:

• Vision loss or blindness if shingles affects the eye (herpes zoster ophthalmicus)
• Neurological complications, including Ramsay Hunt Syndrome
• Secondary bacterial skin infections

There is no cure once shingles develops. Antiviral medications can reduce severity if started early, but vaccination remains the most effective strategy by a significant margin.

Shingles and Travel: The Connection Worth Understanding

Immune stress is one of the key triggers for shingles reactivation. Long-haul flights, jet lag, disrupted sleep, dietary changes, physical exertion, and exposure to new environments all place demands on the immune system. For travellers already at elevated risk — particularly those over 50, or those managing chronic health conditions — travel can tip the balance toward reactivation.

A shingles outbreak during travel is more than an inconvenience. It means pain, disrupted itineraries, potential emergency medical care in an unfamiliar setting, and the possibility of vision complications or PHN that follow you home. Being vaccinated before you travel removes that risk from the equation entirely.

Because Your Health Doesn’t Take a Vacation — Even When You Do.

The Shingrix Vaccine: How It Works

Shingrix® (recombinant zoster vaccine, RZV) is the only shingles vaccine currently authorized in Canada. It is a two-dose, non-live vaccine — safe for immunocompromised travellers — administered several months apart.

Shingrix is recommended for:

• All immunocompetent adults aged 50 and older
• Immunocompromised adults aged 18 and older (updated NACI guidance, May 2025)

Clinical trials have demonstrated over 90% efficacy in preventing shingles in adults over 50, as well as a significant reduction in PHN risk. Side effects — including injection-site soreness, fatigue, and muscle aches — are common but temporary, typically resolving within two to three days.

If you’ve already had shingles, vaccination is still recommended; current guidance suggests waiting approximately one year after the last episode. No booster doses are currently recommended beyond the initial two-dose series.

Is Shingles Vaccination Required for Travel?

Shingles vaccination is not required for entry into any country. However, it is strongly recommended as a preventive measure for adults 50 and older, or for younger adults with medical conditions that increase risk. The decision to vaccinate should be part of a comprehensive pre-travel health assessment — ideally conducted well before departure.

OHIP Coverage: What Ontario Travellers Need to Know

In Ontario, the Shingrix two-dose series is publicly funded (OHIP-covered) for adults aged 65 to 70 who have not previously received the publicly funded shingles vaccine.

Outside this age window:

• Adults under 65 or over 70 are not currently covered under OHIP
• The vaccine is available privately — approximately $150–$200 per dose
• Many private drug benefit plans provide partial or full coverage — worth checking before your appointment

Adults aged 50 to 64 are strongly recommended to be vaccinated based on clinical guidelines, even though OHIP coverage does not begin until age 65. For frequent travellers or those with chronic health conditions in this age group, the cost-benefit case is particularly strong.

Get Vaccinated at Destinations Travel Clinic

At Destinations Travel Clinic in Orléans, shingles vaccination is available as part of a comprehensive pre-travel consultation. Our clinic is staffed by physicians and nurses with specialized training in travel medicine — ensuring that your shingles vaccine is assessed in the full context of your travel itinerary, health history, and complete immunization needs.

Whether you’re heading somewhere exotic or crossing a few time zones for a conference, a pre-travel consultation ensures you leave Canada protected — from the diseases you know to watch for, and the ones already living in your body.

Learn more about shingles vaccination and travel health at healthytrip.ca — or book your pre-travel consultation with our team today.

The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information does not substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment. Please do not initiate, modify, or discontinue any treatment, medication, or supplement solely based on this information. Always seek the advice of your health care provider first. Full Disclaimer