Shingles is caused by the chickenpox virus. After one has had chickenpox, the shingles virus will always be present in the body. It lays dormant for many people, and many who have gotten chickenpox will never experience the symptoms/active virus of shingles. The symptoms only occur when the virus activates. People can also get shingles if they have received the chickenpox vaccine as the vaccine is a small amount of the virus. It also has the possibility of activating more than once. The shingles virus can be found in nerve cells. Shingles is often attributed to being activated due to stress and other weakening factors in the immune system, and some rashes can re-trigger after a body's reaction to medicines. Shingles is an infection and is not inherited