Norwegian man, 71, warns of severe shingles infection after weeks of agony

A 71-year-old Oslo resident has described his weeks-long battle with shingles as “sheer hell,” urging others to take the disease seriously, Dagbladet reports.

Bjørn B. Jacobsen told the newspaper his infection began with intense pain during a work trip to southern Europe in early February. Initially dismissing the symptoms, he later developed severe sores around his eye. After an emergency clinic visit confirmed shingles, he endured round-the-clock medication and sleepless nights due to persistent nerve pain.

“The worst has been enduring it week after week,” Jacobsen said. “The nerve pain was unbearable—enough to drive anyone mad.” Though his visible sores have healed, he still suffers from pain on one side of his head and lingering eye issues requiring drops and medication.

Jacobsen criticized the high cost of Norway’s approved shingles vaccine (around 5,000 NOK per person), noting that many pensioners may be unable to afford the two-dose treatment. He and his wife had declined vaccination last year due to the expense, unaware of the disease’s severity.

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) recommended in February that adults receive the shingles vaccine, citing its potential to reduce dementia risk—a finding supported by a 2023 Nature study. Jacobsen’s case follows increased public attention to the vaccine’s benefits.