chicken pox Follow

By By SAUL FRIEDMAN -- A good friend tells me that his vacation was nearly ruined by a painful, prolonged and potentially dangerous outbreak of shingles. That might have been avoided but for a glitch in Medicare's Part D drug rules that can be an obstacle to a simple, effective vaccination. Shingles, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), is "an extremely painful and debilitating rash that can lead to more serious complications." It's not known what precipitates an outbreak, usually a rash on one side of the body. But you're vulnerable if you've had chicken pox, for the herpes virus remains dormant in your body for life and can reappear as shingles at any time. That's why 95 percent of adults are at risk, which increases with age. The rash may blister and cause great pain. It's treated with anti-viral drugs, but they are of limited value, especially if you fail to see a doctor at the first sign of an outbreak.