Risk Factors for Shingles
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Anyone who had chickenpox is at risk for developing Shingles. Nearly all adults — 9 out of 10 — in the United States are at risk for Shingles.
Additional risk factors for Shingles include:
- Increasing age
- Having a weakened immune system caused by such things as cancer and certain drugs
How many people get Shingles?
It is estimated that in the United States, 1 million cases of Shingles occur every year. As you can see from the graph below, your risk of getting Shingles increases with age. Of those cases, almost half will occur in people 60 years of age or older. As the population ages, the number of cases of Shingles is likely to increase.
Your risk for Shingles increases every year as you get older.
