Tricare now covers the vaccine, Zostavax, for beneficiaries age 60 and older. Zostavax was developed to prevent shingles, a painful viral disease that affects more than one million Americans every year. More than half of those cases happen in people age 60 or older. Shingles is caused by the same varicella-zoster virus that causes chickenpox in children. It remains in the body for decades, sleeping in nerve cells along the spinal column. A shingles rash usually appears on one side of the face or body and lasts between two and four weeks. It can be accompanied by fever, headache, chills and upset stomach. The Centers for Disease Control recommends a single dose of shingles vaccine for everyone age 60 and older. In a recent study, Zostavax was more than 50 percent effective in reducing the incidence of shingles and more than 60 percent effective in reducing some of its associated symptoms.