This vaccine is recommended for all over 50s. I’ve had shingles once and don’t want it again! In France, the only vaccine you can get is Zostavax, which is much less effective than Shingrix, which is the standard vaccine in Germany and the UK. Unfortunately you need 2 doses of it, with a pause of 2-6 months, so you can’t get it while visiting. Does anyone know if it’s available in Spain, which is not far from us? Or speak Spanish well enough to ring a Spanish chemist and ask?
You can get Shingrix here (since last October), but it is not reimbursed at present as haven’t sorted that out yet. It is the on,y one I can have as immune-compromised.
Just ask your doctor to give you a prescription.
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Just to add that, if you do get an ordonnance from the MT for shingles vaccine (of whatever form is permitted) as recommended (my partner did this a few months back) you still may not be able to get it! According to our pharmacie, they have been unable to get any for ages and it seems that it isn’t currently available, with no expected availability date.
My wife asked her MT, who looked in her computer and said Shingrix is not available in France. So who’s right?
if the pharmacist can’t get the medication… 
the Doc is quite right…
}Le 29 février 2024, la Haute Autorité de santé a recommandé l’utilisation préférentielle de ce vaccin contre le zona (par rapport au vaccin Zostavax). Ce vaccin est recommandé chez les adultes immunocompétents à partir de l’âge de 65 ans et chez les personnes immunodéprimées dès l’âge de 18 ans. Vaccin autorisé en Europe depuis le 21 mars 2018 chez les adultes de 50 ans et plus et depuis le 25 août 2020 chez les adultes de 18 ans ou plus présentant un risque accru de zona.
Ce vaccin est commercialisé en France depuis le 2 octobre 2023 mais il n’est pas encore remboursé.}
May not be available in every tiny town, but it is in France. Maybe it’s because I am high risk that I was offered it.
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I’m glad you got it, if you needed it… and perhaps you had the last available stock…
I had shingles over 10 years ago and have been left with Post Herpetic Neuralgia (PHN), so discussed this with my MT who told me that the vaccine in France is a “live” vaccine. So in light of this and not wanting to trigger another episode I decided against having the vaccine
Hmmm, what do they give people who are immunosuppressed, then?
Shingrix!
Have just checked with a good pharmacy and Shingrix, which is a “dead” vaccine, is indeed available in France on prescription, but is not reimbursed by the CPAM. You have to pay the €240 per dose yourself, and need a second dose after 2 to 6 months.
So either wait a bit and see if they come round, or have the first jab on a visit and pay for the second jab here.
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But may be by your mutuelle if prescribed
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The good news is that Shingrix is now available for free and without the need for a doctor’s prescription.
Our village Pharmacist sorted it all out for us. Just produce one’s Carte Vitale and Piece d’Identité to prove how ancient one is, and hey presto, you have a free course of two vaccinations.
France is a wonderful country when it comes to healthcare.
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This may be important information for some -
You can’t get shingles if you’ve never been exposed to the varicella-zoster virus. It’s possible to develop shingles even if you had the chickenpox vaccine . The chickenpox vaccine lowers your risk of getting chickenpox, but it doesn’t protect you from getting shingles.
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Really? The Ameli site says reimbursed at 65% only?
Depuis 2024, le vaccin Shingrix® est recommandé pour la vaccination des personnes immunodéprimées de 18 ans et plus et de tous les adultes de 65 ans et plus. Pour ces personnes, depuis le 14 décembre 2024, ce vaccin est remboursé à 65% par l’Assurance Maladie.30 Jan 2025
Perhaps the Mutuelle is picking up the rest, even though we only have a very basic one.
Our village Pharmacist has known for some time that I was wishing to have Shingrix as being a cancer survivor I’m not allowed to have Zostavax because it is a live vaccine.
I’d heard that Shingrix was becoming available and so raised the subject again at the back end of last year, at which time the Pharmacist said to wait until February for the paperwork system to be sorted out.
So in late February we made an appointment for the Pharmacist to give us the vaccine – both myself and my wife. No ordonnance from the MT was needed, and we had our fist shots in March. The second jabs will take place in late May. There were some special forms that the Pharmacist printed off from her computer which we have to take with us the second time around.
No charge to us at all. Not one penny. I had expected to pay at least something but I’m not going to argue with our very nice and helpful Pharmacist.
So I should think that it is worth making enquiry of the Pharmacist if anyone is interested in having the Shingrix vaccine.
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This morning, while at the pharmacie my wife booked us shingle shots for next Tuesday.
One hopes so, as otherwise would be nearly €70 a shot (full cost is nearly €200).
I have looked at the fine print entered on the back of the form 611 CNAM - 09/2023 which we were each given by the pharmacie.
It seems that the total cost for the two injections is €380.97 per person, of which the Sécurité Sociale pays €247.64 and then the remaining €133.33 is picked up by the Mutuelle.
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