If you’ve never had chickenpox, you can’t develop shingles. However, many people do not remember having chickenpox and may have been exposed to the virus without knowing it. In Singapore, more than 90% of people aged 50 years of age have been exposed to the chickenpox virus, which means they may be at risk of developing shingles.1-3 Even if you have received the chickenpox vaccine in the past, there is still a chance that you will get shingles years later - although it is less common than getting shingles after a chickenpox infection.2
References:
1. Kawai K, et al. BMJ Open 2014;4:e004833.
2. Gershon AA, et al. Trans Am Clin Climatol Assoc 2012;123:17-33.
3. Fatha N, et al. Int J Infect Dis. 2014 May; 22:73-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2013.10.003. Epub 2013 Nov 21.
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