I Was Recently Diagnosed With Genital Herpes And Prescribed Valacyclovir

I was recently diagnosed with genital herpes and prescribed valacyclovir daily . I'm 54 male and healthy otherwise , is this drug safe ? , I panicked a little when I read the possible side effects, I have been having 3 or 4 breakouts a year for the last two years. As I said i'm wondering why my body can't fight it as i'm healthy , this is a rough time for me right now , can you offer any advice. Thank you