Shingles is a variant of the varicella-zoster virus infection. This is usually seen many years after chickenpox. The virus survives in your body and later reactivates and causes short-lived blisters called shingles. Hence, you can get shingles only if you have had chickenpox except in a few immunocompromised patients (like HIV or diabetes) who can get shingles although vaccinated for chicken pox .