Shingles is more common among people advanced in age.
Shingles . Risk factors for reactivation include old age , poor immune function , and having had chickenpox before 18 months of age . While more common among older people , children may also get the disease . The number of new cases per year ranges from 1.2 -- 3.4 per 1,000 among healthy individuals to 3.9 -- 11.8 per 1,000 among those older than 65 years of age .