Cost of Shingles jab at €500 leaves pensioners facing ‘eating or heating choice’

By Philip Rooney, The Sligo Champion

The cost of the shingles vaccine and the debilitating effect it can have on the elderly was raised at the May meeting of Sligo County Council with calls made for the vaccine to be made freely available for those over 65.

Speaking to her motion, Cllr Ann Higgins referenced the most recent public data which indicated that an average of 285 patients with shingles were hospitalised each year between 2013 and 2022. There were 54 deaths linked to shingles, 85 per cent of them in people aged 75 years and older.

Cllr Higgins’ motion before the plenary meeting called on Sligo County Council to, “Write to the Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill to streamline to include the shingles vaccine in our National Strategy and to provide it free of charge to those over 65.”

In calling for the inclusion of the shingles vaccine in the National Vaccine Strategy, and for it be provided free of charge to those over 65, Cllr Higgins referenced the recent increase in shingles among the general population.

Cllr Higgins acknowledged that most people who contract shingles will be unwell for a short period, many with a painful rash, but most make a full recovery, Cllr Higgins highlighted that shingles can be a very debilitating illness in the over 65 age bracket, leaving their immune system compromised for some time, along with other adverse side effects.

Noting the cost of the vaccine Cllr Higgins addressed the Council Chamber stating, “The obvious protection is to get the shingles vaccine which is available in Ireland but only privately. You cannot get it via your GP card or drug payment scheme. It costs approximately €500, which is a lot of money at any time, particularly for those on a limited income so as our pensioners, but even more so now during a cost of living crisis when food, transport and energy costs continue to head in one direction.

“The ‘eating or heating’ choice that is a real challenge for many of our pensioners meaning self-care, such as a shingles vaccination which costs approximately the equivalent of two weeks state pension, remains out of reach.”

Cllr Higgins highlighted that this vaccine is currently free of charge in five EU states, Australia and New Zealand, and the UK generally from age 65, noting that, “It is ironic that our nearest neighbour, the UK, despite its current challenges, is getting their health prevention strategy for their pensioners correct.”

While referencing the 2024 study by HIQA which, at the time found that the shingles vaccine was too expensive for routine immunisation, Cllr Higgins posed the question: “What would it cost if the role out was limited to the over 65s? And has the prolonged hospital stays arising from complications with shingles for this cohort been factored into the value for money exercise?”

Cllr Higgins also noted that, “While you cannot give someone shingles, you can spread the chickenpox virus at a certain stage in your infection. Pregnant women and young babies under a month old are particularly at risk, and ironically it may be grandparents who are providing childminding care to their families during that time who may unwittingly pass it on, another reason to include it in our national vaccination strategy.”

Cllr Higgins concluded by expressing the hope that “common sense will prevail” in relation to the shingles vaccine.

Calling for common sense to prevail in relation to the matter Cllr Higgins insisted, “I am hopeful that common sense will prevail, and a sensible policy reversal will be reached, similar to the government’s response to my previous motion last year which called on the provision of the enhanced flu vaccine for over 65s. At that time, it also was not available on similar cost grounds, but thankfully sense prevailed when we saw the annual winter flu epidemic put so much strain on our health services and hospitals. We need to adopt the same approach to the shingles vaccine and remove the stark access inequity for those most affected.”

There was unanimous support for the motion with a number of Councillors addressing the view to express their support.

The motion was supported by Cllr Marie Casserly who said, “I support this worthwhile and timely motion, not everyone can afford protection.” Cllr Casserly also noted that providing the shingles vaccination for over 65s would “Reduce pressure on hospitals and GPS.”

Cllr Seamus Kilgannon also offered his support for the motion saying, “It wouldn’t cost the State that much to provide for over 65s. I know people who got shingles, and they never really returned to work it was so severe.”

Cllr Edel McSharry also spoke in favour of the motion saying, “We have an ageing population, if we can do preventative medicine that is what we should be doing.”

Article Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.