Shingles Is Not the Chickenpox Virus Contrary to the current beliefs of medical research and science, shingles and chickenpox are not the same virus and they never have been. For decades, we’ve been taught that shingles is a reactivation of the chickenpox virus. But the truth is, they’re two entirely different bugs. The only thing chicken pox has in common with shingles is that they’re both viruses in the herpes family that can cause a rash. Chicken pox is an entirely different species of herpes