BOSTON -- There's a push to protect people against a disease that is caused by the same virus that causes the chicken pox and can be extremely painful.

But as NewsCenter 5's Heather Unruh reported, it may be more common than you think.

"It's a burning and tingling feeling. Hypersensitive. Anything that touched it was painful," said Elizabeth Britt, a nurse from Winchester, Mass.

Britt lived in pain from shingles for several months, even after her rash went away. Shingles is a viral skin disease that strikes one in three American adults who have had chicken pox.

"After you have chicken pox, the virus actually stays in your body and actually will stay in the body for life," said Dr. Donald Craven, an infectious disease specialist with Lahey Clinic of Burlington, Mass. "As we get older, our immune system starts to wane and the virus starts to reactivate. Usually coming on in the 50s, 60s and 70s when the immune system starts to wane."

Shingles lasts for about two weeks and can cause a cluster of painful rashes that may turn into blisters. It usually strikes the torso, but it can affect the arms, legs and even the face.

"The virus can actually get into the eye and actually cause impairment of vision," Craven said.

Craven said because the shingles virus damages nerves, it can trigger pain and problems that can last the rest of your life. There is no cure. But there is a shingles vaccine which is recommended for anyone over 60.

"What it does? It keep it in remission so it doesn't come back," said Tony Valenza, a pharmacist with Rite Aid.

That's why Rite Aid has launched a major campaign to get people vaccinated. Pharmacies in 31 states, including Massachusetts, are holding shingles clinics. Zostavax is a single dose, one-time shot. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it can reduce your chance of getting shingles by 50 percent.

"The most important thing is to try and prevent this from happening," Craven said.