Government’s free shingle shot program rolls out but there’s a problem

Queensland’s free shingles vaccination program rolls out on Wednesday, but there’s a hitch for those over the age of 65.

Dr Bruce Willett

Doctors are warning that Queenslanders over 65 will have to wait for a free shingles jab as supplies are not yet available, despite the Federal government announcing the new vaccine program would rollout from Wednesday.

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Queensland chair Bruce Willett told The Courier-Mail that there is a waitlist of patients wanting the vaccine but clinics cannot put in orders until the first day of the month. The wait for any supplies could be a couple of weeks.

This comes as the Immunisation Coalition warns that federal and state governments need to focus on making sure there is enough supply of Shingrix.

“It is important that healthcare providers have appropriate stock levels of the Shingrix vaccine to meet the current community demands,” infectious diseases expert and chairman of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Immunisation Coalition, Professor Robert Booy said.

First Nations and Torres Strait Islanders people 50 years and over and immunocompromised people 18 years and over at high risk of shingles, also known as herpes zoster, are also eligible for free jabs.

This follows the advice from the independent medicines experts at the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee and the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation.

“We hope there is enough of the vaccine available, we already have patients waiting. Shingles can be devastating for those who suffer prolonged neurological pain which can persist for years,” Dr Willett said.

The zoster vaccine costs hundreds of dollars for those who pay for it privately. It can offer protection for up to 10 years.

Shingles can develop in adulthood and is caused by the reactivation of the same virus that causes chickenpox. It presents as a painful blistering rash, fever and pain on one side of the face, chest or abdomen that lasts a couple of weeks but ongoing pain (post herpetic neuralgia) can last for many months and can be severely debilitating.

Close to 100,000 senior Australians develop shingles every year.

The Immunisation Coalition, welcomes this recently listed vaccine onto the National Immunisation Program schedule (NIP) and celebrates its free availability to eligible Australians. However the experts say the biggest challenge remains for the equitable distribution among all states and territories.