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FAQ

Is shingles contagious?

Page last updated 19 January 2022

Shingles cannot be passed from one person to another. However, the virus that causes it can be spread from a person with active shingles to cause chickenpox in someone who has never had chickenpox or has not received the chickenpox vaccine. Shingles is not as contagious as chickenpox, and the risk of spreading the virus is low, so long as the rash blisters are covered up completely.

Sources & Citations

6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Shingles (herpes zoster) transmission. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/about/transmission.html (accessed 08 December 2021).

 

MAT-AU-2102487  Date of preparation January 2022

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