People older than 60 should be vaccinated against shingles, according to a strong recommendation this week from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It's easier to get the shot for the painful, debilitating virus in North Carolina than it was last year, but cost and access remain a problem for some older people, professionals say.

A state rules change in January allowed pharmacists with special training to give the shot. Previously, patients had to pick up frozen vaccine at a pharmacy, rush to a doctor's office and hope to get the shot before 30 minutes had passed and the drug deteriorated, said Jay Campbell, executive director of the N.C. Board of Pharmacy.

Out of more than 9,000 pharmacists living in the state, fewer than 9 percent have been certified to give the vaccine, manufactured as Zostavax by Merck & Co. Twenty-four counties lack a pharmacist who can give the vaccine.

WHAT IS SHINGLES? A result of the reactivation of the chicken-pox virus, shingles appears as a painful, blistering rash, accompanied by chills, fever, nausea or headache. One complication is post-herpetic neuralgia, or PHN, a chronic pain syndrome.

HOW GOOD IS THE VACCINE? It cuts occurrence of shingles by one-half to two-thirds.

WHERE IS IT AVAILABLE? Once a doctor prescribes it, patients can get the shot from a certified pharmacist. If your pharmacist cannot give the shot, you can try the state pharmacy board at 246-1050 or www.ncbop.org.

ARE THERE SIDE EFFECTS? Minimal, with the occasional exception of swelling at the injection site.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? For someone with no insurance, as much as $300. You can check with insurance plans or Medicare Part D for co-payments, which can range from nothing to $180, said Jennifer Burch, a Durham pharmacist.