It's painful, comes with a number of complications and is extremely common. The pain from shingles has been described as aching, burning, stabbing or shock-like. And even once you've got over the disease, as many as one in five people suffer from post-herpetic neuralgia, continuing pain which can last from a few months to several years afterwards. But from next month ((1 Nov)), a vaccine will become available to eligible people via the National Immunisation Program.