Health Promotion and MaintenanceQuestion 813 of 2368
A client who had chickenpox as a child asks why they should receive the shingles vaccine. Which response by the nurse is correct?
- The chickenpox vaccine given in childhood wears off after ten years
- The virus stays dormant in the body and can reactivate years later as shingles
- Shingles is caused by a different virus that is spread in adulthood
- Having chickenpox once does not cause any later disease
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Correct answer: The virus stays dormant in the body and can reactivate years later as shingles
The same varicella-zoster virus causes both diseases. The vaccine is the only way to prevent shingles and post-herpetic neuralgia.
Source: Nursing Health Promotion (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College, 2025), Healthy Lifestyle: Adults. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Practice the topic "Health Promotion and Maintenance"Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026