Since shingles is caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus, you can only get it if you have had chickenpox before.1,2 However, many people do not remember having chickenpox and may have been exposed to the virus without knowing it. In fact, over 99% of adults aged 50 years and older have been exposed to the chickenpox virus,3* which means most carry it and are at risk for shingles.1
It is important to know that even if you had the chickenpox vaccine, there is still a small chance of developing shingles later in life, though this is less common than after a chickenpox infection.1
*Based on US population data.
References:
1. World Health Organization. Shingles (herpes zoster): Fact sheets. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/shingles-(herpes-zoster). Accessed 17 September 2025.
2. Health Hub. Herpes zoster (shingles). Available at: https://www.healthhub.sg/health-conditions/herpes_zoster. Accessed 21 November 2025.
3. Kilgore, P.E., et al. (2003). Varicella in Americans from NHANES III: Implications for control through routine immunization. Journal of Medical Virology, 70(Suppl 1), S111–118.
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