Can the Shingles Vaccine Give You Shingles? Can It Give You Shingles? There is little evidence that the recombinant zoster vaccine (Shingrix) can give you shingles by reactivating the varicella zoster virus. Clinical trials that included nearly 30,000 people showed no viral reactivation after immunization, though several case reports indicate it may be possible in extremely rare cases.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976296f424725-2d93-4d57-aa…