Short answer, yes. Shingles is contagious when the blisters are open and oozing; after the blisters crust over, it is no longer contagious. Most of the time, though, people develop shingles as a re-activation of their own case of chicken pox. The two are caused by the same virus, Varicella Zoster. The really nasty thing about viruses is that they can stay in your body cells' own DNA, replicating along with the rest of your DNA. Then, when you are under some kind of stress, the virus portion becomes active, and makes more viruses. This is why people have cold sores repeatedly, in the same area of their body (different virus, though).
Most of the time the varicella virus does not become re-activated for many years; most sufferers of shingles are over the age of 50. However, my own daughter developed a case right before her high school senior prom. It is not just itchy, it is quite painful.
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