Ken, when I was single, I always noticed that if I got sick, it was almost always on my days off, not on work days. I don't know if it was coincidence or if my psche just adjusted for it. I thin I only called in sick once or twice in over 40 years.
Both my wife and myself got the shingles shot last year here in Northern Ontario.. I felt absolutely nothing and had no pain or reddening at all.. My wife had no pain either but just the slightest reddening for one day.. No reaction either from either of us.. I believe the injection is a live vaccine they give.. As far as we are concerned, it is the best protection from a horrible and extremely painful disease which could last for years.. As we have health care here in Canada, and we are seniors, the cost was $0.00..
I got the old shingles shot a few years ago and paid $200 then. I will probably got this new one and would have done it sooner but all the posts I'm reading about pain have me putting it off. I think Walgreens told me it will cost $40 with my insurance. I had no side effects with the old shot though and I never do with vaccines.