Curbside shingles vaccines offered in Tri-Cities starting April 5

Update: Appointments for April have filled. Future clinics will be announced as the Benton Franklin Health District gets more shingles vaccine.

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Shingles vaccinations will be given curbside at the Benton Franklin Health District’s Kennewick office starting April 5.

Tri-Cities area residents 50 and older can receive the Shingrix shot from 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays.

Shingles is a painful, blistering skin rash caused by the the chickenpox virus.

After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus remains in the body but is typically inactive for many years. As people get older, the virus is more likely to reactivate and cause shingles.

Very rarely, a shingles infection can lead to pneumonia, hearing problems, blindness, swelling of the brain or death.

Appointments for the vaccination are required by calling 509-460-4200. The shots will be given in the parking lot of the health district office at 7102 W. Okanogan Place.

Health insurance information will be collected when the appointment is made, but anyone without insurance coverage for the shot will not be charged.

The shingles vaccine cannot be given within 14 days of the COVID-19 vaccine. Anyone who has received a COVID-19 vaccine in the last two weeks or plans to get one in the next two weeks should wait before receiving the shingles vaccine.

A second shot of the shingles vaccine two to six months after the first dose is required for the vaccine to be fully effective.

This story was originally published April 3, 2021 at 5:00 AM.