Allison Rosati shared an important message as she returned to NBC Chicago's anchor desk Tuesday following a health scare that led to an absence of more than a month.
In an update in the 6 p.m. newscast, Rosati revealed that she had been diagnosed with shingles, an illness that afflicts up to 1-in-3 Americans.
"Shingles is no joke. It sounds funny, but it’s not. It’s brutal, but it can have long-lasting impact," she said.
Shingles can lead to serious complications like long-term nerve pain and vision loss, according to the CDC. Anyone who has had chickenpox is at risk of getting the illness.
In a social media post last month, Rosati said she "kept putting off getting a shingles shot thinking, 'Oh next time I go to Walgreens, I’ll get it done.'"
But then she was diagnosed and her healing journey has led to her advocacy.
"Don’t take your health for granted self-care is so important," she wrote in a message to viewers Tuesday. "Oh yeah and I’m getting a shingles shot as soon as I can!"
The CDC recommends that Americans age 50 and older get a shingles vaccine, something Rosati said she wishes she had done sooner.
"It’s been just a joy to hear from you that so many people are getting their shingles shot," she said.
After weeks apart, Rosati was greeted back by her colleagues at NBC Tower with raucous applause as she entered the newsroom:
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
“I’m an ugly crier,” she said after the tribute. “It was so beautiful to see everybody’s faces. I missed everyone.”
Rosati returned to the anchor’s chair for the 5 p.m. newscast, and shared a message to the station’s viewers about the support she received during her absence.
“If anybody knows anybody going through any kind of illness, reach out, give ‘em a shout, because it really does lift your spirits when you’re at home all by yourself,” she said.
Rosati joined the NBC Chicago family as an anchor and reporter in 1990, and was promoted to co-anchor of the 10 p.m. newscast in 1997.
