Can the shingles vaccine cause a genital herpes outbreak?

My outbreaks have been more frequent than ever, and more intense since getting my first shingles vaccine- Shingrix- in January 2025. I would love to see a class action suit happen for victims of the Shingrix vaccine. I got it thinking it would help with occasional herpes outbreaks. It has made them come back with a vengeance. I am a 55-year-old female, too old to be having to deal with this. I am devastated.

I got my first dose jan 19th by the next day my lips swelled up and my throat was starting too, on February 9th I developed blisters on my gums, now I have five, then this past week vision issues in my left eye, this morning a rah on my belly and pins and needles ion my upper arms, stomach and back. I have never tested positive for Herpes ever and never had shingles-this is from the shot I AM SURE OF IT!

Same here. I filed a claim with GSK. You should also.

I am sorry to tell those that are thinking about suing, you can't sue vaccine makers. They have blanket immunity as of 2011. In 1986 the Prep Act was written up to gaslight people suing them, but they received full immunity as of 2011. I am not being mean, but use some common sense, the same people that make the vaccines benefit when you get ill later. They make back-end profits one way or another. The illness could seem completely unrelated.

Possibly because I got an outbreak after I got the shingles vaccine and still getting them.

Judging by my own experience and that of others in this forum, probably induced by the vaccine. i still get vaccinations in general, but these days i often take an antiviral drug for the next 24 hours, to block any reactivation attempts. it has worked so far.

Thank you for all the valuable posts and information regarding the vaccine and herpes treatments. I have cancelled my appointment for the Shingrix vaccine. I believe the earlier vaccine might be a better choice, but for now, I’m opting to avoid both. I am 68 years old and have struggled with HSV2 herpes outbreaks for 40 years but was reluctant to take the prescribed Valtrex because of the side-effects.

Instead, I opted for alternative treatments. In addition to the lysine, vitamin D2, and vitamin C supplements, I also take Oreganol (oil of oregano) at the first sign of an outbreak or any illness. Oreganol has potent antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antifungal properties, and I take it multiple times throughout the day depending on the severity. Unlike antiviral prescription medications, it doesn't come with harmful side effects. Quercetin is another supplement I use to boost my immune system. These supplements have been very helpful for me.

I wish I had better news, but I've had almost non-stop genital herpes outbreaks since I got the second Shingrix shot in February 2022. It is now nearly two years later, and there's been no change. The only thing that seems to tame it is 1000 mg of famciclovir, which hasn't been working lately.
Acyclovir did nothing. Having had herpes since 1986, with very few outbreaks in the later years, I was disheartened and angry by this development. Thank you to all who reported the same issue. It confirmed what I suspected, and there is some consolation in that.

I'll be reaching out to GlaxoSmithKline (the makers of Shingrix) to report the issue. I'll report back if I gain any useful information.

I also got an outbreak shortly after receiving the Shingles vaccine. I had never been diagnosed or had outbreaks before this. The blood test showed HSV1, although the outbreak was genital. It is very frustrating now to deal with something that has never been an issue.

The questions remain: Did the vaccine cause this? Did I always have it and this just activated it? Was it just an immune response?

I wish it would be listed in the possible side effects because I might not have chosen to get it.

Note that all the replies before 2017 are for zostavax and afterwards it’s a completely different vaccine called shingrix. They use different epitopes. So the early one has cross herpes protection and the newer one does not. The newer one is also much harsher and it is the one that typically has the bad secondary effects.

Same thing happened to me. I would sue if I knew how.. I have been dealing with this for years now and it happened right after I got the Zolter shingle vaccine shot..

I agree 1000% that the newer Shingrix vaccine causes HSV Herpes Simplex reactivation. Haven't had any issues with anything resembling an outbreak in many many years. Got second does of the shingles vaccine and... bam! All the symptoms of a classic outbreak since a few days after the second shot. Been struggling for several weeks now. This is not a coincidence, no matter the how or why. I wouldn't have gotten the shots if I had any clue. Funny this is the only website where I've found anyone talking about this at all.

I started this post back in 2014. Now I'm a little over 70, immunocomprimised, and have made it clear to my doctors that I will never get the shingrix vaccine. I share my experience when I can, and scold the TV ads for not mentioning herpes outbreak as a side effect.
I've been on valacyclovir for months due to my time in the hospital. My doctors said if I stay on that forever, I don't need the vaccine. That's good enough for me! There is an option!

I received vaccine about 4 years ago and I am still battling frequent and severe outbreaks. Doctors and patients should be aware of this before shingles vax. My doctor didn’t believe the vax caused it. Within three days I had a severe breakout, no coincidence. I had one breakout in the 80s and no more until the shingles vax. I would rather have shingles than HSV breakouts in my mid 60s! I saw a commercial on TV and ask my doctor if I should get the shingles vaccine; I feel so stupid because I brought this on myself and no one in the medical community is warning seniors how dangerous the vaccine is. How can we make others aware?