Access to the free shingles vaccine has been expanded to all immunocompromised people aged 18 and over. But experts fear that the expanded access may have dire consequences for vaccine supply.
The latest round of expansion comes after the vaccine was made free for all Aussies aged 65 and over last November. More than 1.3 million older Aussies have received the Shingrix vaccine since then.
The vaccine is part of the National Immunisation Program (NIP), and the expansion will mean hundreds of thousands more Aussies will be eligible.
Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful blistering rash as a result of the reactivation of the same herpes zoster virus that causes chickenpox.
Shingles can occur at any age, but the risk increases as you get older. The likelihood and severity of complications also increases with age. The Department of Health recommends a two-dose vaccination schedule administered two-six months apart.
Federal health minister Mark Butler announced the expansion last week, telling reporters his government is investing $57.7 million over four years to expand the Shingrix program, which has been available on the NIP since 1 November 2023 to prevent shingles and post-herpetic neuralgia.
“Without vaccination, almost one in three Australians will get shingles in their lifetime,” he said.
“Making the shingles vaccine free for more Australians is not just good their hip pocket, it’s also good for their health.
“Without listing it on the NIP, Australians who are immunocompromised due to an underlying health condition would have to pay up to $560 for their vaccine.”
Will supply keep up with demand?
The changes are welcome, but some GPs have expressed concerns about vaccine supplies after they were forced to put patients on waiting lists for the shingles vaccine when the first round of expansion happened last year.
Dr Rod Pearce, chair of the GP and Immunisation Coalition, told newsGP he had heard there are informal discussions underway with the vaccine’s manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline Australia to ensure there will be enough supply.
“They’ve [the manufacturer] told us they are happy to supply anything that’s been asked,” he said.
“We would encourage the government to make sure it requests enough to support the program that it’s now recommending, so we don’t have the same barrier as we had before.”
Dr Paresh Dawda, a member of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ (RACGP) expert committee, said adding immunocompromised people to the vaccine program was a positive but said vaccine supplies need to be secured.
“Certainly, in the existing eligibility, with the over-65s, there’s been quite a high demand for it as well,” he says.
“But they need to ensure that the supplies are sufficient, and GPs are given the supplies to meet the expected demands and needs, because in the initial rollout we had a fair bit of trouble.”
Have you ever had shingles? Have you had the shingles vaccine? Let us know in the comments section below.
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